swoop

Related topics: Birds, Air

swoop1 /swuːp/ verb [intransitiveI]

1 HBBTTAif a bird or aircraft swoops, it moves suddenly down through the air, especially in order to attack something 〔鸟或飞机〕向下猛冲，向下猛扑

The eagle hovered, ready to swoop at any moment.

鹰在天空盘旋，随时准备俯冲下来。

swoop down/over/across etc

A helicopter suddenly swooped down.

一架直升机突然俯冲下来。

2 ATTACK written if the police, army etc swoop on a place, they go there without any warning in order to look for someone or something 〔警方、军队等〕突然袭击；突然搜查

swoop on

Drug officers swooped on several addresses in London last night.

缉毒警察昨晚对伦敦的几处住所进行了突击搜查。

Examples from the Corpus

swoop• A raven swooped down from its perch in the rafters and dived at the wizard, talons open and gleaming.• As soon as the adventurers stop moving, the Harpies will swoop down from their roosts in the rock.• This moment seemed to have swooped down on him from nowhere.• It harasses other gulls until they drop their hard-won food and then swoops down to catch it - often in mid-air.• Purdue swooped in and got it instead, and will sit atop the West bracket.• A raven flaps aimlessly across the scene, and white-throated swifts swoop past in violent arcs.• Rather, the carrier frequency swoops up or down about an octave.

swoop down/over/across etc• O-U-out... goose swoops down and plucks you out.• Nevertheless, Ellen swooped down and removed it, and Otis began screaming at her, as she expected him to.• She had seen them on their expensive horses, swooping across country, confident in the saddle.• Garnett comes swooping down from somewhere out of the West Maui Mountains to reject the shot.• As soon as the adventurers stop moving, the Harpies will swoop down from their roosts in the rock.• Wagtails swooped across my path, and from the mouth of the Eske, curlews called shrilly to one another like owls.• Two days later, for the first time in 10 years, a few murres swooped down on the rock.• It harasses other gulls until they drop their hard-won food and then swoops down to catch it - often in mid-air.

swoop2 noun [countableC]

1 ATTACKa sudden surprise attack on a place in order to get something or take people away – used especially in news reports 突然袭击；突击搜查〔尤用于新闻报道〕

swoop on

Police arrested a man in a swoop on his house last night.

警方昨晚突击搜查一名男子的住所，将他逮捕。

2. MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONa swooping movement or action 向下猛冲；猛扑；俯冲

→ at/in one fell swoop at fell4

Examples from the Corpus

swoop• The invisible flutter and swoop of black creatures, still furious with the woman who had once banished them.• Despite the drop-off, analysts said they were encouraged by the elimination of the securities in one fell swoop.• Early morning swoop ... police raid a house in Kirkdale today.• In one swoop the feeling swallowed her up and she had never got rid of it since.• She also referred to the police swoops on illegal sites that are regularly organised by the local authorities.

Origin swoop