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swatting. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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English
Etymology
From swat + -ing.
Pronunciation
Verb
swatting
- present participle and gerund of swat
Noun
swatting (plural swattings)
- A motion or gesture that swats; a swat.
1973, Oliver Sacks, Awakenings:This […] evoked a new disorder — a tendency to sudden, tic-like jabbings and swattings in the air, as if she were fending off flies or mosquitoes.
- (US, slang) The action of making an illegitimate call to the police so as to have a SWAT team dispatched to a location.
2020 January 23, Sheera Frenkel, “People Are Calling SWAT Teams to Tech Executives’ Homes”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:Swatting started in the combative world of online gaming. It was a way to terrorize someone more famous, get even with a rival or retaliate against someone with different political views.
2021 July 24, Maria Cramer, “A Grandfather Died in ‘Swatting’ Over His Twitter Handle, Officials Say”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:Mr. Herring’s relatives said they wanted tougher laws against swatting and more training for police agencies on how to recognize potential fake calls.