music Rapid sliding up or down the musical scale:
— The violinist was indulgent with his swoops and slides.

synonym: slide.

Roget 789: taking etc. v.; reception etc. (taking in) 296; deglutition etc. (taking food) 298; appropriation, prehension, prensation^†; capture, caption; apprehension, deprehension^†; abreption^†, seizure, expropriation, abduction, ablation; subtraction, withdrawal etc. 38; abstraction, ademption^†; adrolepsy^†.    dispossession; deprivation, deprivement^†; bereavement; divestment; disherison^†; distraint, distress; sequestration, confiscation; eviction etc. 297.    rapacity, rapaciousness, extortion, vampirism; theft etc. 791.    resumption; reprise, reprisal; recovery etc. 775.    clutch, swoop, wrench; grip etc. (retention) 781; haul, take, catch; scramble.    taker, captor.    [Descent of one of the earth's crustal plates under another plate] subduction [Geol.].    ... show more

A very rapid raid.

A swift descent through the air.

Move down on as if in an attack:
— The raptor swooped down on its prey.
— The teacher swooped down upon the new students.

synonym: pounce.

Roget 306: descend; go down, drop down, come down; fall, gravitate, drop, slip, slide, rappel, settle; plunge, plummet, crash; decline, set, sink, droop, come down a peg; slump.    dismount, alight, light, get down; swoop; stoop etc. 308; fall prostrate, precipitate oneself; let fall etc. 308.    tumble, trip, stumble, titubate^†, lurch, pitch, swag, topple, topple over, tumble over, topple down, tumble down; tilt, sprawl, plump down, come down a cropper.    ... show more

Move with a sweep, or in a swooping arc.

Seize or catch with a swooping motion.

synonym: swoop up.