swashes

Waves hitting shore

Swashes are typographical flourishes—the decorative curls and extended strokes on certain letterforms, especially in italic and script typefaces.

A capital Q might have an elaborate tail; an italic f might sweep below the baseline.

The wedding invitation featured elegant swashes on the capital letters.

In a different sense, swashes are sounds of water splashing or the movements that make them.

motion

sweep

Brush clean with broom

  • swirlRotating, curving movement
  • splashLiquid scattering on impact
  • sloshLiquid moving messily

surge · swoosh · flow · wave · rush · gush · pour · cascade · ripple · lap

calligraphy

flourish

To grow vigorously

script · cursive · handwriting · nib · manuscript · lettering · parchment · vellum · scribe · scroll

ornamental

flourish

To grow vigorously

curlicue · embellishment · adornment · decoration · rococo · baroque · gilding · lacework · brocade · festoon

typography

glyph

Visual form of character

typeface · serif · script · ascender · descender · baseline · kerning · ornament · alternate · display

nautical

gunwale

Ship's side top edge

waterline · deck · drainage · shipboard · vessel · guttering · bilge · planking · trough

Opposites
water movement

swashesstillness

Complete lack of motion

stills · calms · stagnates · calm · motionlessness

sound quality

swashessilence

Total lack of sound

quiets · hushes · stillness · mutes · whispers

behavioral manner

swashesshrinks

Decreases in size

cowers · retreats · skulks · withdraws · effaces

Phrases
Family

swash, swashbuckling, swashbuckler, swashing, swashed, swashbucklers

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