The Many Meanings of Sweat

The Many Meanings of Sweat The Many Meanings of â€Å"Sweat† The Many Meanings of â€Å"Sweat† By Maeve Maddox Sweat is one of those Old English words that has dwindled in meaning since Anglo-Saxon times. Back in those sword-swinging times, sweat mean blood. By Middle English times sweat had acquired its modern meaning of â€Å"perspiration.† In addition to its current literal meaning, sweat enjoys a rich figurative life: sweat of one’s brow This expression comes from Genesis 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. The expression has been used with a legal meaning in discussions of copyright law: â€Å"the effort expended in labor, and the value created thereby.† sweat equity value added to a house by means of the unpaid labor of owner or tenant. sweatshirt a collarless long-sleeved pullover made of cotton jersey with a smooth-finished face and a heavily napped back Merriam Webster sweat pants athletic pants made of the same fabric as a sweatshirt sweatband/sweat-band: can be either the band of leather or other material that forms the lining of a cap, or a band of terry cloth or other absorbent material worn around the head to absorb perspiration. sweat bee a bee attracted to the salt in human perspiration night sweats Excessive sweating during sleep. Medical term: Sleep hyperhidrosis sweat shop a small factory that does not conform to local standards of safety, sanitation, length of workday, or payment. sweat lodge an enclosed area heated by steam from water poured on hot stones; used especially by American Indians for spiritual and/or health purposes. sweater girl a model or actress who wears tight-fitting sweaters for publicity photos. The first â€Å"sweater girl† was Lana Turner. no sweat This idiom means â€Å"no problem.† â€Å"Can you fix this wretched computer for me?† â€Å"No sweat,† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†25 Favorite Portmanteau Words