Word
swath
US/ˈswɑθ/
UK/swˈɒθ/
Definition
n. a large area of land or sea that is covered by something, like a storm or a ship's wake. It can also describe a wide strip of something, like a path or a cut of grass.
n. a wide strip or area of land, sea, or sky that is covered or affected by a specific event or object. Often used in nautical or agricultural contexts to describe the path of a vessel or the extent of a natural phenomenon.
Examples
“The storm left a wide swath of destruction across the coast.”
“The ship's wake created a long, white swath across the dark blue surface of the ocean.”
“The satellite imagery revealed a narrow swath of cleared land that suggested the presence of a hidden military installation deep within the forest.”
Examples
simple
“The storm left a wide swath of destruction across the coast.”
contextual
“The ship's wake created a long, white swath across the dark blue surface of the ocean.”
complex
“The satellite imagery revealed a narrow swath of cleared land that suggested the presence of a hidden military installation deep within the forest.”
Real-World Examples
“The earthquake struck San Jose del Palmar, a rural town in Colombia’s Pacific region, and devastated swaths of nearby cities like Pereira, Quibdo, and Cali.” “Water-bombing aircraft and farmers' tractors joined forces Sunday to help firefighters tame Belgium's largest modern-day wildfire, which has scorched vast swaths of a hard-to-reach nature reserve near the German border.” Etymology
From Middle English swath, swathe, from Old English swæþ, swaþu (“track; trace; footstep”), from Proto-Germanic swaþō (“a wind-swept place; open field”), of unknown further origin. Has been derived from a Proto-Indo-European swey- (“to bend, turn, swing”), and compared with Ancient Greek σιμός (simós, “snub-nosed”) and Welsh chwil (“reeling, staggering”), though this is uncertain, as well as the Greek comparandum being unlikely. Cognate with Dutch zwade, zwad (“swath; windrow”), German Schwade (“swath; windrow”), Icelandic svæði (“area; zone; sector; region”). other etymological information Corresponds to Middle Low German and Middle Dutch swat, Middle High German and MNG swade, NDu swad(e), Old Frisian swethe (“border”). Root meaning: trace of a cut. Attested in English since 888 in its obsolete meaning of track or trace, since 1475 in its more modern usage. Cognate with German Schwaden (“row of mown grass or grain”). No definite cognates outside Germanic languages. * See F. Kluge, Etymologisches Wörterbuch (De Gruyter), entry Schwaden, and OED.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. cut a swath
02. cut a wide swath
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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