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

Erin was generating waves of 35 feet or more at an ocean buoy east-northeast of the Bahamas on Aug. 19, creating swells and stirring up a broad swath of the ocean. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025

And for the wide swath of drivers who are both curious about and skeptical of EVs, a lease is far easier to swallow than an outright sale. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2025

While the approval of spot ETFs opened the door to a much wider swath of investors to participate in the crypto space the fact remains that for the majority of investors the sector is perceived as more volatile than other alternatives, even if the facts on the ground tell a different story. —Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025

Some areas west of the highway are still under evacuation orders, as is a swath of land along the fire’s southern edge into Garfield County. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 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