Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a general term of abuse; thus swabberly adj.

1596		Nashe Have With You to Saffron-Walden in Works III (1883–4) 25: A lye befitting a base swabberly lowsie sailer.
1609		Jonson Silent Woman IV iv: How these swabbers talke!
1610		Jonson Alchemist IV vii: Do not believe him, sir: / He is the lyingest swabber!
1624		Massinger Parliament of Love IV v: I am a swabber doctor, A bloodlesse swabber, haue not the strength enough To clense her poope.
1631		A. Wilson The Swisser II i: A plaine blunt swobber’s wo’d, If hee had wit enough.
c.1635		W. Cartwright Ordinary I ii: Out you base companions, you stinking swabbers.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 90: And now this Swabber, by the Malkins, / Thunders up Dido’s Gally-Gaskins.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) n.p.: Q. Who is Swabber? A. He that like a sloven spills his Liquor upon the Table.
1693		Dryden Fifth Satire of Persius in Poems (2000) 189: Cubb’d in a cabin, on a mattrass laid, / On a brown george, with lousy swabbers fed .
1700		T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 139: Hold your tongue, you old swabber.
1707		N. Ward Wooden World Dissected 64: He’s not very backward in propagating his Science, for a simple pocky Swabber.
1734		H. Carey Chrononhotonthologos i: The Soldiers have just received their Pay, and are as drunk as so many Swabbers.
1748		Smollett Roderick Random 222: He swore woundily at the lieutenant, and called him lousy Scotch son of a whore and swab and swabbard whereby the lieutenant returned the salute, and they jawed together fore and aft a good spell, till at last the captain turned out.
1796		Sporting Mag. Aug. VIII 281/2: Yet a Dutch swabber / Is apt enough no other speech to know.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1821		‘A Real Paddy’ Real Life in Ireland 185: Thus was Brian surrrounded by rebels [...] swabbers, ticklers, weeders, sloemouths, and potato stalks.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

2. a promiscuous woman.

1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk I 33: This being said, our lusty Swabber / Groan’d like a Woman in her Labour.
1806–7		J. Beresford Miseries of Human Life (1826) 247: At the screams and the bruises, Anne and Sam from their snoozes Start – and take the fair Swabber For a night-coming robber.