Webster's English Dictionary

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swerve

1. swerve \'sw*rv\ vb [ME swerven, fr. OE sweorfan to wipe, file away; akin 
   to OHG swe]rban to wipe off, Gk syrein to drag : to turn aside abruptly 
   from a straight line or course : DEVIATE  : to cause to turn aside or 
   deviate , DIVERGE mean to turn aside from a straight course. SWERVE may 
   suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, 
   often with abruptness; VEER implies a large change in direction; DEVIATE 
   implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course; DEPART suggests a 
   deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type; DIGRESS 
   applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse; DIVERGE may 
   equal DEPART but usu. suggests a branching of a main path into two or more 
   leading in different directions SYN syn SWERVE, VEER, DEVIATE, DEPART, 
   DIGRESS 
2. swerve n : an act or instance of swerving