Dictionary

Tarzan swing en · NOUN

Etymology

After the fictional character Tarzan, known for swinging from tree to tree on lianas in the jungle.

Meanings

1. (qualifier:recreation) A swing consisting of a single rope, typically suspended from a tree or beam, now especially installed in an outdoor activity center or as part of an obstacle course.
   • But Pete, possibly under the — Hollywood influence, made the scaling wall four feet higher than Army regulations stipulated and exaggerated the monkey walk, Tarzan swing, and other hazards accordingly. 1944, Ezra Stone and Weldon Melick, Coming, Major!, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., page 251:
   • Emphasis upon the acquisition of knowledge rather than upon the development of wholesome mental attitudes tends to belittle such experiences as the following listed by boys as being “most enjoyed”: […] Taming a squirrel. Making a Tarzan swing. 1937 May 14, The Research Quarterly, Ann Arbor, MI, page 171:
   • Skills acquired include learning the "Flea Hop" and the "Tarzan Swing" as well as "Riding the Zipper" (sliding 400 feet on a cable between two mountain peaks), canoeing in white-water rapids, bushwacking and learning to "rappel" hundreds of feet down sheer rock cliffs on a rope. 1975 July 14, The Barium Messenger, Barium Springs, NC, page 2, column 3:

Forms

Synonyms

tarzy · tarzie · rope swing