swizzle

Meanings

1. Any of various kinds of alcoholic drink.
2. Alternative form of switchel (“drink based on water and vinegar”).
3. Synonym of swizz (“swindle, disappointment”).
4. The conversion of portable symbols or positions to memory-dependent pointers during deserialization.

1. To stir or mix.
2. To turn around.
3. To drink; to swill.
4. To permute bits, or elements of a vector.
5. To convert portable symbols or positions to memory-dependent pointers during deserialization.
6. To change a class's dispatch table in order to resolve messages from an existing selector to a new implementation.

Etymology

Unknown etymology, 1813. Original sense “alcoholic drink”, possibly a variant of switchel (“a drink of molasses and water, often mixed with rum”), attested 1790, itself of uncertain origin. Possibly influenced by swirl or fizz. In verb sense “to stir”, from swizzle stick (“stick for stirring alcoholic drinks”), itself attested 1859.