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Swiss cheese

American

noun

a firm, pale-yellow cheese made originally in Switzerland, typically made from cow's milk and having many holes.

Swiss cheese British

noun

a hard white or pale yellow cheese with holes, such as Gruyère or Emmenthal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Swiss cheese

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Starting in 2023, they tore out its center and moved steel girders until they resembled Swiss cheese.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

To a certain extent, the Swiss cheese approach in these cases makes sense.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2024

Unite leader Sharon Graham expressed concern Labour's plan had too many caveats, with "more holes in it than Swiss cheese".

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2024

Earth's moon achieved its Swiss cheese appearance from celestial objects crashing into its surface, forming impact craters.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2024

I put down my Swiss cheese sandwich and leaned across the table so I could speak as quietly as possible.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023