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

What the bill does The bill describes a new and significantly altered congressional map that, at the most basic level, splits up the state's most heavily urban areas and combines them with rural swaths in order to create nine Republican-advantaged seats and zero Democratic-advantaged seats. —Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 6 Dec. 2025

Winter weather advisories span a wide swath of the country, from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. —Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

At the same time, Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) happened to share the same swath of sky with the now-famous interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025

Immense biodiversity and vast swaths of raw, untouched jungle make Nicaragua a dream for adventurous travelers. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 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