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

No matter what, swaths of the region will have to be rebuilt. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2025

The head of Southern California Edison said Wednesday that winds blowing in Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7 were not strong enough to merit de-energizing a powerful electrical transmission line that is now being investigated as a possible ignition point for a fire that devastated a large swath of Altadena. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

Late in his first term, in 2020, Trump issued an executive order that purported to enable the at-will firing of swaths of civil-service employees. —Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025

The Interior Department oversees a large swath of federal land and areas offshore, including regions that produce a quarter of U.S. oil. —Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Jan. 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

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