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

Most of the country is mountainous, without wide swaths of flatland that could accommodate the kind of massive solar and wind farms seen in parts of the United States. —Hannah Kirshner, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2025

Here’s a look at the troubled modern history of the Gaza Strip: 1948 – 1967: Egyptian rule of Gaza Before the war surrounding Israel’s establishment in 1948, present-day Gaza was part of the large swath of the Middle East under British colonial rule. —Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025

But Hayden’s intense focus on the inquiry angered a wide swath of Johnson County residents, triggering a GOP primary challenge from Doug Bedford, a former undersheriff. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2025

In the aftermath of the 2018 Woolsey Fire, lions struggled to hunt, faced starvation and transversed wider and wider swaths of habitat, frequently risking road crossings. —Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 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