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Definition of swede

swede

/swiːd/
swede

Plural:swedes
•
Adjective:Swedish
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swede Lexical Profile

swede Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A native or inhabitant of Sweden, or a person of Swedish descent. (Note: Always capitalized as 'Swede' in this context).

Example

"The famous botanist Carl Linnaeus was a Swede who formalized the modern system of naming organisms."


2

British A large, round, yellow-fleshed root vegetable that is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip; known as a rutabaga in North America.

Example

"For Sunday dinner, she prepared a traditional roast with mashed swede and carrots."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for swede

Word Nuance & Usage

In British and Commonwealth English, the lowercase 'swede' refers to the yellow root vegetable known in North America as a 'rutabaga', while in all dialects the capitalized 'Swede' refers to a person from Sweden.

• Rhymes for swede

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Middle Low German 'Swede' or Middle Dutch 'Swede'. The agricultural term is a 19th-century shortening of 'Swedish turnip', introduced to Britain from Sweden.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Swede. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/swede
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