What does "swart" mean?

Swart: Of a dark hue; moderately black; swarthy; tawny. "Swart attendants." Trench. "Swart savage maids." Hawthorne. A nation strange, with visage swart. Spenser.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Gloomy; malignant. [Obs.] Milton. Swart star, the Dog Star; -- so called from its appearing during the hot weather of summer, which makes swart the countenance. [R.] Milton.
  2. 3.To make swart or tawny; as, to swart a living part. Sir T. Browne.

Sources