Swiss cheese

American  

noun

• Swiss cheeses
  plural

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

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Swiss cheese British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Swiss cheeses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Swiss cheese

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Swiss cheese

The Grand Canyon's largest springs are fed by karst systems, which Sankey compares to "Swiss cheese" because of the numerous holes, channels, and openings in the rock.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 2, 2026

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

I see faces in everything — a slice of Swiss cheese, the front of a sedan, even an electrical outlet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025

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

Aboard Freedom, not only could there be perfect mixing, but gas bubbles could be distributed evenly throughout, making a kind of Swiss cheese, or foam-metal alloy.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins