swathe (sweɪð
)
Definitions
verb (tr)
- to bandage (a wound, limb, etc), esp completely
- to wrap a band, garment, etc, around, esp so as to cover completely; swaddle
- to envelop
noun
- a bandage or wrapping
- a variant spelling of swath
Alternative Forms
ˈswathable ˈswatheable adjectiveWord Origin
Old English swathian; related to swæthel swaddling clothes, Old High German swedil, Dutch zwadel; see swaddleswath (swɔːθ) or swathe (sweɪð)
Definitions
noun
Word forms: plural, swaths, swɔːðz, swathes
- the width of one sweep of a scythe or of the blade of a mowing machine
- the strip cut by either of these in one course
- the quantity of cut grass, hay, or similar crop left in one course of such mowing
- a long narrow strip or belt
Word Origin
Old English swæth; related to Old Norse svath smooth patchUsage examples
She sailed slowly down the broad icy swathe , six hundred feet above it.
, Seize the Reckless Wind (1985)In states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam they garner support from a broad swathe of society.
India Today (1998)In Hawkes Bay power was cut and traffic halted as a huge hailstorm left a 40km swathe of white.
New Zealand Herald (2004)But Taliban forces were soon cutting a bloody swathe through nearby communities.
Sun, News of the World (2002)A great swathe had been cut through the government, leaving only Walpole and Townshend standing.
, A VERY ENGLISH DECEIT: The Secret History of the South Sea Bubble and the First Great Financial Scandal (2002)