[f. SWAG v. + BELLY sb.]
1. (as two words) A pendulous abdomen.
[1604: implied in SWAG-BELLIED.]
1632. Sherwood, A swag bellie, ventre à poulaine.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 485. He was of an horrid look, short stature, swag belly.
1771. Smollett, Humphry Cl., 17 May. Great overgrown dignitaries … dragging along great swag bellies.
1820. W. Tooke, trans. Lucian, I. 469. A multitude of wealthy usurers, all pale with swag-bellies.
1909. Chambers’s Jrnl., Aug., 541/2. He is rather a decent Christian, with a swag belly and a jolly face.
b. Path. = PHYSCONY.
1857. Dunglison, Med. Lex.
2. (with hyphen or as one word) A person having a pendulous abdomen.
1611. Cotgr., Lifrelofre, a huffesnuffe, swag-bellie, puffe-bag.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. Pantagr. Progn., v. 239. So many Swag-bellies and Puff-bags. Ibid. (1712), 2nd Pt. Quix., xliii. (1749), IV. 64. Confound thee … for an eternal proverb-voiding swag-belly.
1881. Leic. Gloss., Swag-belly, i.q. Sludge-guts.
Hence Swag-bellied a., having a ‘swag belly’ or pendulous paunch.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. ii. 80. Your Dane, your Germaine, and your swag-belly’d Hollander.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., ix. (1804), 46. This swag-bellied doctor.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., X. i. (1872), III. 208. Swag-bellied, short of wind.
1899. F. T. Bullen, Way Navy, 49. A grimy, swag-bellied drudge of a steam collier.
transf. 1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall (1845), 334. He saw a swag-bellied cloud rolling over the mountains.
So † Swag-buttocked a., having large swaying buttocks; † Swag-paunch = SWAG BELLY.
a. 1652. Brome, Damoiselle, V. i. Dat is de gross English douck, fer de *swag-buttock’d wife of de Pesant.
1611. Cotgr., Ventre à la poulaine, a gulch, big-bellie, gorbellie, *swag-paunch, bundle of guts.
