swath

American  

[swoth, swawth] / swɒθ, swɔθ /

noun

swaths plural

1. the space covered by the stroke of a scythe or the cut of a mowing machine.

2. the piece or strip so cut.

3. a line or ridge of grass, grain, or the like, cut and thrown together by a scythe or mowing machine.

4. a strip, belt, or long and relatively narrow extent of anything.

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idioms

1. cut a swath, to make a pretentious display; attract notice.

   The new doctor cut a swath in the small community.

swath British  

/ sweɪð, swɔːθ /

noun

1. the width of one sweep of a scythe or of the blade of a mowing machine

2. the strip cut by either of these in one course

3. the quantity of cut grass, hay, or similar crop left in one course of such mowing

4. a long narrow strip or belt

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swath More Idioms  

1. see cut a wide swath.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• swaths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of swath

before 900; Middle English; Old English swæth footprint; cognate with German Shwade

Explanation

A swath was originally the long narrow space created by a single swing of a scythe in a field of grass or corn as the cutter moved through it. Nowadays it is used more figuratively to mean any kind of path someone makes. The figurative use of swath has nonphysical senses as well, as in the term "a significant swath of the population believes..." Or if someone is trying to attract attention to themselves, or is making quite a public stir, they might be said to be "cutting a swath through the business world" or "cutting a swath on the dance floor." Hopefully, neither of the latter involves using scythes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

swath swaths

SK Group began as a textile company in 1953 but quickly grew across a wide swath of industries to become one of South Korea's biggest conglomerates.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

They’re confident they will make it, with a swath of supporters from across the political spectrum and more than 105,000 signatures from all 88 Ohio counties collected in just three months since the campaign launch.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

During the pandemic, a broader swath of 20-somethings returned home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

California purchased the swath of rocky cliffs and windswept shoreline in the 1960s to expand the construction of Highway 1 and create a scenic viewpoint for highway travelers, according to a California Coastal Commission report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

Unfortunately for him, there was never anything—not a swath of goat hair or even a piece of stone—for the boy to take.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

They know huge swaths of the system are in desperate need of replacement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Since June, a succession of heat waves have pummeled the continent, straining its infrastructure and drying out swaths of territory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The movie is more condensed than the novel; Hitchcock accepted that the film medium cannot access the inner thoughts of a human being, and so significant swaths of the book were excised.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The fires eviscerated many of the plants and trees in and around the burn zones, leaving behind barren lots and charred swaths of parkland.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Its swaths of deep brush and arable land made it great for farming but less appealing for honeymoons and hedonism.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Related Words

• fodder
• grass