Definition: Swap

Category: External debt - IMF

A forward-type financial derivative contract in which two counterparties agree to exchange cash flows determined with reference to prices of, say, currencies or interest rates, according to predetermined rules. 

At inception, this instrument typically has zero market value, but as market prices change the swap acquires value. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/external_debt_guide_2003_EN.pdf#page=227