swell : Idioms & Phrases

• noun an obvious change of public opinion or political sentiment that occurs without leadership or overt expression
  
  • there was a ground swell of antiwar sentiment
• noun a broad and deep undulation of the ocean
  ground swell.
  

WordNet

• . (a) (Bot.) The plant groundsel. Obs. Holland. (b) A broad, deep swell or undulation of the ocean, caused by a long continued gale, and felt even at a remote distance after the gale has ceased.

Webster 1913

• noun a broad and deep undulation of the ocean
  ground swell.
  

WordNet

High"-swell`ing adjective

Definitions

1. Inflated; boastful.

Webster 1913

• (Mus.), a certain number of pipes inclosed in a box, the uncovering of which by means of a pedal produces increased sound.

Webster 1913

• . See under Mob. Slang

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a small shark (Scyllium ventricosum) of the west coast of North America, which takes in air when caught, and swells up like a swellfish.

Webster 1913

• verb expand abnormally
  swell; intumesce; tumefy; tumesce.
  
  • The bellies of the starving children are swelling

WordNet

• noun an exaggerated opinion of your own importance
  self-importance; egotism.
  

WordNet

• adjective satellite characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
  egotistic; swollen; conceited; self-conceited; vain; egotistical.
  
  • a conceited fool
  • an attitude of self-conceited arrogance
  • an egotistical disregard of others
  • so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty
  • growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary
  • vain about her clothes

WordNet

• (Med.), a chronic swelling of the knee, produced by a strumous inflammation of the synovial membranes of the kneejoint and of the cancellar texture of the end of the bone forming the kneejoint; applied also to a lingering chronic swelling of almost any kind.

Webster 1913