swim-v; 3 Senses

Sense Number 1: Travel (as if) through water.

Commentary: Syntax is: NP1[animate] SWIM PP[direction] NP2 NP1[animate] SWIM PP[location] NP2
NOTE: Includes metaphorical uses where the 'liquid' is [abstract] a mass noun that's not a liquid (as in example 3 and 4).

Examples:
He swam to the island.
We had to swim for twenty minutes to reach the shore.
A big fish was swimming in the tank.
We were swimming through mounds of paperwork.
She was swimming in admiration.
The bacteria swim through the blood stream and eventually reach the heart.

Mappings:
VerbNet: run-51.3.2-1,swarm-47.5.1-1
FrameNet: Self_motion
PropBank: swim.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 4, 5

Sense Number 2: Be afloat, stay on or in a liquid surface.

Commentary: Syntax is: NP1[inamimate] SWIM (PP NP2[concrete]) NP1[theme} SWIM (PP NP2[concrete])
NOTE: Includes metaphorical uses.
NOTE: Object swimming is inanimate.

Examples:
Who knows whether the plan will sink or swim.
Ice cubes swim on the surface of water.
Metal pieces were swimming around in my drink.
The steak was swimming in thick brown gravy.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2

Sense Number 3: Feel dizzy or be confused; have confused, rapid thoughts.

Examples:
My head was swimming from the booze.
His head was swimming with new ideas.

Mappings:
VerbNet: tingle-40.8.2
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: swim.02
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3