swath

noun

ˈswäth How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯth
variants or swathe
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swath (audio)
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 All of Florida is highly vulnerable, with swaths of vulnerability stretching from there out across the Gulf Coast shore through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023 In July, large swaths of fans unfollowed Doja on her various social media after the artist refused to express a devotion to them that didn’t feel true to her. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2023 Beyond a small corps of AI winners, big swaths of the market remain unconvinced the economy is going anywhere. Isabelle Lee, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023 Many licensed providers have lengthy wait lists, and large swaths of the county are child-care deserts, with space for only a fraction of the young children who need them. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023 Videos posted online by residents showed large swaths of mud and wreckage where the raging waters had swept away the residential neighborhoods on both banks of the river. Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023 The swath of heavy rain associated with Hurricane Lee could impact New England depending on the track. Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 The ambition now is to recruit otters to help restore the ecological health of a much wider swath of the West Coast. Dino Grandoni and Melina Mara, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Sep. 2023 The district, which includes large swaths of the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico, enrolls a quarter of the state’s Native students but was responsible for at least three-quarters of Native expulsions in the 2016-17 to 2019-20 school years, according to student discipline data. Bryant Furlow, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swath.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of swath was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swath

Cite this Entry

“Swath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swath. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

swath

noun
ˈswäth How to pronounce swath (audio)
ˈswȯth
variants or swathe
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swath (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on swath

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!