swab

A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.

A sample taken with a swab (piece of absorbent material).

A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.

A mop, especially on a ship.

A sailor; a swabby.

As for that swab, he's good and dead, he is.

To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.

swab the deck of a ship

He had one hand on the bounce bottle—and he'd never let go of that since he got back to the table—but he had a handkerchief in the other and was swabbing his deadlights with it.

A surname.