swart

Swart, a.

Etymology: [OE. swart, AS. sweart black; akin to OFries, OS. & LG. swart, D. zwart, G. schwartz, OHG. swarz, Icel. svarir, Sw. svart, Dan. sort, Goth. swarts; cf. L. sordes dirt, sordere to be dirty. Cf. Sordid, Surd.]

1. Of a dark hue; moderately black; swarthy; tawny. "Swart attendants." Trench. "Swart savage maids." Hawthorne. A nation strange, with visage swart. Spenser.

2. Gloomy; malignant. [Obs.] Milton. Swart star, the Dog Star; -- so called from its appearing during the hot weather of summer, which makes swart the countenance. [R.] Milton.

2 other Webster entries under this spelling

Swart, n.

Sward. [Obs.] Holinshed.

Swart, v. t.

To make swart or tawny; as, to swart a living part. Sir T. Browne.

Shades of meaning

Fernald has no entry of its own for swart; he lists it under dark.

Where he writes about it:

Dusky is applied to objects which appear as if viewed in fading light; the word is often used, as are swart and swarthy, of the human skin when quite dark, or even verging toward black. — from dark

etymology Webster’s online

swart

Shades of meaning

Synonyms

Antonyms