swim
swam verb: past tense
swum past participle
A. -noun
·to have a swim
·darse un baño, nadar
·I had a lovely swim this morning
·me di un baño estupendo esta mañana
·after a two-kilometre swim
·despuénoun de nadar dos kilómetros
·it'noun a long swim back to the shore
·hay un buen trecho a nado hasta la playa
·that was a long swim for a child
·eso fue mucho nadar para un niño
·to go for a swim
·ir a nadar or a bañarse
a. to be in the swim † estar al corriente or al tanto
b. to keep in the swim † mantenerse al día
B. -transitive verb
1. [+stretch of water] pasar a nado, cruzar a nado
·he was the first man to swim the English channel
·fue el primer hombre que cruzó a nado el Canal de la Mancha
2. [+length, race] nadar
·he can swim two lengths
·puede nadar dos largos
·she swam ten lengths of the pool
·se hizo diez largos en la piscina
·to swim (the) crawl
·nadar a crol
·before I had swum ten strokes
·antes de haber dado diez brazadas
·she can't swim a stroke
·no sabe nadar en absoluto
·she swam the 400 metres medley
·nadó los 400 metros a cuatro estilos
C. -intransitive verb
1. [person, fish] nadar
·I can't swim
·no nouné nadar
a. to swim [across] a river = pasar or cruzar un río a nado
b. we managed to swim [ashore] = logramos llegar nadando hasta la orilla
c. then we swam [back] = luego volvimos (nadando)
d. we shall have to swim [for it] * tendremos que echarnos al agua, tendremos que salvarnos nadando
e. to [go] swimming = ir a nadar or bañarse
f. to [learn] to swim = aprender a nadar
g. to swim [out to] sea = alejarse nadando de la playa
h. to swim [under] water = nadar debajo del agua, bucear
i. to swim against the stream or tide nadar contra corriente
j. to swim with the stream or tide dejarse llevar por la corriente
2. (=float) flotar
·the meat was swimming in gravy
·la carne flotaba or nadaba en la salsa
·her eyes were swimming with tears
·tenía los ojos inundados de lágrimas
a. to be swimming in money nadar en la abundancia
3. (dizzily)
(=reel)
[room, head] dar vueltas
·my head is swimming
·me estoy mareando, me da vueltas la cabeza
·everything swam before my eyes
·todo parecía que daba vueltas ante mis ojos