sway

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To swing back and forth or to and fro. See Synonyms at swing.
2. v. To incline or bend to one side; veer: She swayed and put out a hand to steady herself.
3. v. To incline toward change, as in opinion or feeling.
4. v. To fluctuate, as in outlook.
5. v. To cause to swing back and forth or to and fro.
6. v. To cause to incline or bend to one side.
7. v. Nautical To hoist (a mast or yard) into position.
8. v. To divert; deflect.
9. v. To exert influence on or control over: His speech swayed the voters.
10. v. Archaic To rule or govern.
11. v. Archaic To wield, as a weapon or scepter.
12. n. The act of moving from side to side with a swinging motion.
13. n. Power; influence.
14. n. Dominion or control.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To bend to one side, as by excess of weight; hang in a heavy, unsteady manner; lean away from the perpendicular; swag: as, a wall that sways to the west; also, to bend or lean first to one side and then to the other; swing backward and forward.
2. To move or incline to one side, or to one side and then to the other, literally or figuratively; incline to one side, party, etc., or to one and then to the other; vacillate, as judgment or opinion.
3. To have weight or influence; bear rule; govern.
4. To advance steadily.
5. To cause to move backward and forward; wave or swing; hence, to wield with the hand.
6. To cause to bend or move aside; bias, literally or figuratively; cause to lean or incline to one side; prejudice.
7. To rule; govern; influence or direct by power and authority, or by moral force; manage.
8. Nautical, to hoist; raise: particularly said of yards and topmasts.
9. Guide, Direct (see guide), control.
10. n. Inclination; preponderance; movement toward one side or the other, or toward both alternately; swing.
11. n. Weight; force, as of some heavy or powerful agent.
12. n. Rule; control; government: probably in allusion to the sway of the scepter, or of the sword, embodying and illustrating government.
13. n. An instrument of rule or management.
14. n. A switch used by thatchers to bind their Work. Synonyms Influence, Ascendancy, etc. See authority.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
2. n. A rocking or swinging motion.
3. n. Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side; as, the sway of desires.
4. n. Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
5. n. Rule; dominion; control.
6. n. A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.
7. n. The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion
8. v. To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; to rock.
9. v. To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield; as, to sway the scepter.
10. v. To influence or direct by power, authority, persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide. Compare persuade
11. v. To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp; as, reeds swayed by wind
12. v. nautical To hoist (a mast or yard) into position
13. v. To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
14. v. To have weight or influence.
15. v. To bear sway; to rule; to govern.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.
2. v. To influence or direct by power and authority; by persuasion, or by moral force; to rule; to govern; to guide.
3. v. To cause to incline or swing to one side, or backward and forward; to bias; to turn; to bend; warp.
4. v. (Naut.) To hoist.
5. v. To be drawn to one side by weight or influence; to lean; to incline.
6. v. To move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward.
7. v. To have weight or influence.
8. v. To bear sway; to rule; to govern.
9. n. The act of swaying; a swaying motion; the swing or sweep of a weapon.
10. n. Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side.
11. n. Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
12. n. Rule; dominion; control.
13. n. Prov. Eng. A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. controlling influence
2. v. move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner
3. v. cause to move back and forth
4. v. win approval or support for
5. n. pitching dangerously to one side
6. v. move back and forth or sideways