To clean with a mop or swab; to wipe when very wet, as after
washing; as, to swab the desk of a ship.

A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels,
etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads.

A bit of sponge, cloth, or the like, fastened to a handle,
for cleansing the mouth of a sick person, applying medicaments to
deep-seated parts, etc.

An epaulet.

A sponge, or other suitable substance, attached to a long rod
or handle, for cleaning the bore of a firearm.