swathe

1 of 2

noun

variants or swath
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swathe (audio) ˈswäth How to pronounce swathe (audio)
ˈswȯt͟h,
ˈswȯth
1
: a band used in swathing
2
: an enveloping medium

swathe

2 of 2

verb

swathed; swathing

transitive verb

1
: to bind, wrap, or swaddle with or as if with a bandage
2
: envelop
a mountain swathed by clouds

Examples of swathe in a Sentence

Verb The nurse swathed the wounded soldier's leg in bandages. Her neck was swathed in jewels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
In the quaint New England town where Practical Magic is set, witches aren’t swathed in darkness like in The Craft, nor are they campy like in Hocus Pocus. Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024 Earlier this year, The Chatwal Lodge introduced three Treehouses, elevated residences swathed in light among the oak and maple. Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 The handle was swathed in textile and the skin of a stingray—commonly applied to Japanese sword handles for better grip because of its rough texture. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024 As the men’s president was transforming today’s man and Adams-Geller stylistically decoded time travel, Geller Brown was swathed in actual code and data working on Paige’s e-commerce overhaul — for a year and a half. Adriana Lee, WWD, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swathe 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English *swæth; akin to Old English swathian to swathe

Verb

Middle English, from Old English swathian

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swathe was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near swathe

Cite this Entry

“Swathe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swathe. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

swathe

1 of 2 verb
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swathe (audio)
ˈswȯt͟h,
ˈswāt͟h
swathed; swathing
1
: to bind, wrap, or swaddle with or as if with a bandage
2

swathe

2 of 2 noun
ˈswät͟h How to pronounce swathe (audio)
ˈswȯt͟h,
ˈswāt͟h
variants or swath
ˈswät͟h,
ˈswäth,
ˈswȯt͟h,
ˈswȯth
: a band used in swathing

More from Merriam-Webster on swathe

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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