swath

noun

ˈswäth 

ˈswȯth

variants or swathe

ˈswät͟h 

ˈswȯt͟h, 

ˈswāt͟h 

1

a

: a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine

b

: the sweep of a scythe or a machine in mowing or the path cut in one course

2

: a long broad strip or belt

3

: a stroke of or as if of a scythe

4

: a space devastated as if by a scythe

Examples of swath in a Sentence

An aerial view of the countryside shows wide swathes of green.

He cut a swath through the field with his scythe.

Recent Examples on the Web

The precipitation there will cause severe and widespread flash flooding, prompting flood watches for swaths of the region. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025

Saturday night, large swaths of San Francisco were plunged into darkness, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere in affected neighborhoods. —Da Lin, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025

Tacos Tacolorado was a particularly bad actor, given the stand had covered a vast swath of the metro without adhering to any local health standards, said Usui, the food safety supervisor. —Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025

Beyond these regions, a broad swath of Utah, Nebraska, Wisconsin and the Northeast has roughly 50–50 odds of snow on the ground when Santa comes to town. —Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English swæth footstep, trace; akin to Middle High German swade swath

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for swath

• broth
• cloth
• doth
• froth
• goth
• loth
• moth
• wroth
• broadcloth
• cheesecloth
• loincloth
• neckcloth

Kids Definition

swath

noun

ˈswäth 

ˈswȯth

variants or swathe

ˈswät͟h 

ˈswȯt͟h, 

ˈswāt͟h

1

a

: the sweep of a scythe or machine in mowing or the path cut in one course

b

: a row of cut grain or grass

2

: a long broad strip or belt

3

: a space destroyed as if by a mowing machine