The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Swad \Swad\, n. [Probably fr. AS. swe?ian to bind.] [Written
   also swod.]
   1. A cod, or pod, as of beans or pease. [Prov. Eng.]
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            Swad, in the north, is a peascod shell -- thence
            used for an empty, shallow-headed fellow. --Blount.
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   2. A clown; a country bumpkin. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "Country
      swains, and silly swads." --Greene.
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            There was one busy fellow was their leader,
            A blunt, squat swad, but lower than yourself. --B.
                                                  Jonson.
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   3. A lump of mass; also, a crowd. [Low, U.S.]
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   4. (Coal Mining) A thin layer of refuse at the bottom of a
      seam. --Raymond.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

swad
    n 1: a bunch; "a thick swad of plants"