English
Pronunciation
IPA: /sw��θ/
audio|en-us-swath.ogg|Audio (US)
Etymology
Old English swæþ, swathu (a "track", "trace", "scar")
Corresponds to MLG and MDu swat, MHG and MNG swade, NDu swad(e), OFries 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.
Noun
en-noun
- The track cut out by a scythe in mowing.
- context|often|figurative A broad sweep or expanse.
#: "Five days after Hurricane Katrina, large swaths of New Orleans, such as Canal Street seen here, are still submerged in water."
Usage notes
To be distinguished from main meanings of swathe, but that is also an alternative spelling for this word.
Related terms
cut a wide swath
et:swath
io:swath
ru:swath
te:swath
vi:swath
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