swath

UK: /swɔːθ/ US: /swɑθ, swɔθ/ ,(swoth, swôth)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

swath /swɑθ, swɔθ/  also swathe, n. [countable]

1. Agriculture the space covered by the cut of a mowing machine or other cutting device.
2. Agriculture the piece or strip so cut.
3. a strip, belt, or line of anything.

Idioms

4. Idioms cut a (wide) swath, to make a conspicuous or striking impression:
   With his money he could afford to cut a (wide) swath through the upper aristocracy.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

swath  (swoth, swôth), n. 

1. Agriculture the space covered by the stroke of a scythe or the cut of a mowing machine.
2. Agriculture the piece or strip so cut.
3. Agriculture 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.
5. cut a swath, to make a pretentious display;
   attract notice:
   The new doctor cut a swath in the small community.

Also, swathe. 

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English swæth footprint; cognate with German Shwade

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

swath / swɔːθ/, swathe / sweɪð/ noun (swaths / swɔːðz/, swathes)

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

Etymology: Old English swæth; related to Old Norse svath smooth patch