Swath is only a noun. A swathe (/ ˈ s w eɪ ð /: rhymes with "bathe") or swath (/ ˈ s w ɒ θ /: rhymes with "cloth") is the width of a scythe stroke or a mowing-machine blade, the path of this width made in mowing or the mown grass or grain lying on such a path. As is often the way when consulting dictionaries and usage guides, things are not much clearer than when I began. 2 swath2, swathe . It seems that the high winds cut a swath through our neighborhood last night, blowing down trees and power lines on nearly every street. b : the sweep of a scythe or a machine in mowing or the path cut in one course. Verb (swath) To bind with a swathe, band, bandage, or rollers. Most modern dictionaries prefer swathe: Oxford Dictionaries online has swatheand labels swath ‘chiefly N. American’. The verb swathe means “to wrap up, swaddle or bandage.”. ), But most people don’t think of a “swatch” as a row; it’s a patch, as in a “swatch” of fabric, which is Merriam-Webster’s first definition. to wrap, bind, or swaddle with bands of some material; wrap up closely or fully. From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English swathe swathe 1 / sweɪð $ swɑːð, swɒːð, sweɪð / (also swath / swɒθ $ swɑːθ /) noun [countable] 1 a long thin area of something, especially land swathe of The bomb had left a swathe of the town centre in ruins. They appear to mean quite separate things. To wrap or bind in bandages. Nowadays, we mostly see “swath” as the noun and “swathe” as the verb. (verb) Clouds swathed the mountain. 2. But look at the fourth definition: “swath,” referring readers to the second definition of “swath,” “a long broad strip or belt.”. Another word for swath: area, section, stretch, patch, tract | Collins English Thesaurus I pronounce swath with the broad a of father and the unvoiced sound of th as in thin. Why? It refers to (1) the width of a scythe stroke, (2) a path made by mowing, or (3) something likened to a path made by mowing. If all you want from this article is to know how to pronounce swath and swathe, please skip the middle and read the part that begins, “My advice to speakers.”. 2. Today, it’s usually used in the third, figurative sense. The verb “swathe,” meaning “To envelop in a swathe or swathes; to wrap up, swaddle, bandage,” traces to the 12th century, the OED says. I always figured there must be a tiny difference in meaning between the two that I didn’t understand; good to know that they’re interchangeable! [swäth, swôth] n. [ME swathe < OE swathu, a track, akin to Ger schwade, space covered by a scythe swing: for IE base see SWATHE1] 1. the space or width covered with one cut of a scythe or other mowing device 2. This is aimed at Jamey, but I would be interested to hear others' opinions. 1 : to bind, wrap, or swaddle with or as if with a bandage. b. Curiously, R.W. swathe 1 (swoᵺ, swāᵺ), USA pronunciation v., swathed, swath•ing, n. v.t. In Middle English the term denoted a measure of the width of grassland, probably reckoned by a sweep of the mower's scythe. Brown, a poet and literature professor at Howard University, published a forthright essay charting the history of Black life in his hometown of Washington, DC—from the district’s early status as the “very seat and center” of... Eleven newsletters to subscribe to if you work in media, Delacorte Lectures on Magazine Journalism, Magazines and their websites: A CJR survey and report, © Copyright 2020 Columbia Journalism Review. Using “swathe” as a noun is likely to have readers thinking for a second that it’s the verb “swathe,” meaning to wrap in “swaths” of bandages. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Swath. to … Yes, swath to rhyme with moth and swathe to rhyme with bathe. Of “swath,” “swathe,” and “swatch,” “swath” is the most common, according to this Google N-gram showing its appearance in books since 1800 or so. 1 a : a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine. Of “swath,” “swathe,” and “swatch,” “swath” is the most common, according to this Google N-gram showing its appearance in books since 1800 or so. As a verb swatch is to create a swatch. If you repeat that n-gram search with “Swatch” instead of “swatch,” you’ll see that “Swatch” outperformed “swath” for a time in the early part of the 21st century, before sharply falling (though whether there is a connection with the popularity of the watches themselves, we can’t say). As a noun, swathe means “a band of linen, woolen, or other material in which something is enveloped.” As a verb, swathe means, “to envelop in a swathe or swathes; to wrap up, swaddle, bandage.” To wrap, as in layers of cloth: swathed herself in towels. to bandage. to enfold or envelop, as wrappings do. That scythe indirectly gave us “swath.” A “swath” is “a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine,” Merriam-Webster says, and by extension, a long strip of something that looks like a scythe had been there. ( Log Out / cut a swathe through phrase. ICYMI: A big day for The Denver Post newsroom staff. and fig. Het verschil is dat een SWATH de oppervlakte van de waterlijn zo klein mogelijk is. Searching The Guardian online reveals that this is true of that paper too. Even though a scythe is not that wide, “swath” seems to have grown in scale. 2 : a long broad strip or belt. In 1937, Sterling A. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. For a time in the 16th century, a “swatch” was also a row of cut corn or grass, even though we already had “swath.” Of course, we didn’t have good dictionaries then, either. NOTE: The noun swath denotes the narrow path of cut grass made by a scythe or mower. Everything we do at Swathe.me makes every day better during difficult times. What does swathe expression mean? Old English swæth, swathu ‘track, trace’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwad (e) and German Schwade. ( Log Out / ( Log Out / Definition of cut a swathe through in the Idioms Dictionary. Swathe is usually a verb, meaning, primarily, to wrap or bind with or as if with bandage. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. In some local English counties, a “swatch” is “A passage or channel of water lying between sandbanks or between a sandbank and the shore,” the OED says. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English의 정의 swathe swathe 1 / sweɪð $ swɑːð, swɒːð, sweɪð / (also swath / swɒθ $ swɑːθ /) noun [countable] 1 a long thin area of something, especially land swathe of The bomb had left a swathe of the town centre in ruins. That spike in the use of “swatch” starting around 1980 may be tied to the introduction of “Swatch” watches in the late 1970s. In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, a tornado “carved a swath through the Arena Hub Plaza” in June, a local newspaper wrote. 3 : a … Change ), For anyone interested in words and spellings, Spelling Trouble prepares to bring in the harvest. 2 : envelop a mountain swathed by clouds. swathe phrase. Around 1325, the OED says, a “swath/swathe” was “The space covered by a sweep of the mower’s scythe; the width of grass or corn so cut, and the road left behind.” That’s similar to M-W’s first definition. Swathe [swaythe] functions as both a noun and as a verb. It seems that the high winds cut a swath through our neighborhood last night, blowing down trees and power lines on nearly every street. swath, swathe The word meaning ‘a ridge of grass left after mowing’ and ‘a strip’ is spelt swath (pronounced swawth; preferred) or swathe (pronounced swaydh). 1. a. What does cut a swathe through expression mean? We make it easy to give practical support to someone you know, even when you can’t be there in person. Another close relative of “swath” is “swatch,” as in an article discussing a hailstorm that “cut across a wide swatch of the region.” (Note that the online headline, though, used “wide swath.” There they go again. OED lists swath by itself, thus: 1 swath1, swathe . swathe: 1 v wrap in swaddling clothes Synonyms: swaddle Type of: bind make fast; tie or secure, with or as if with a rope n an enveloping bandage Synonyms: wrapping Type of: bandage , patch a piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In some local English counties, a “swatch” is “A passage or channel of water lying between sandbanks or between a sandbank and the shore,” the OED says. But the OED says the phrase is “Now frequently to cut a wide swath.” Americans always like to supersize things. As nouns the difference between swath and swatch is that swath is the track cut out by a scythe in mowing while swatch is a piece, pattern, or sample, generally of cloth or a similar material. Track, trace. But since the sixteenth century this word has been pronounced with a long vowel, and spelled accordingly; early spellings include swaithe, sweath and swathe. Both spellings swath and swathe are clearly acceptable, but swathe seems the more common in British usage. Checking the paper’s Style Guide confirmed that this is indeed the paper’s preferred spelling for this word, which refers to a broad strip of land – technically the amount of land that can be covered in one swing of a scythe. Daniel Jones Pronouncing Dictionary This British reference, published 1967, gives one pronunciation for the spelling … ing. This is endorsed by the American Merriam-Webster dictionary, which spells this word swath. Main meanings of swathe in English : swathe 1 swathe 2 Astute readers might remember that we talked about “swath” and “swathe” in a column on how adding the letter “e” can turn a noun into a verb, and that we noted how both “swath” and “swathe” mean strips of things. Today’s Guardian newspaper has an article alerting its readers to the threat of smog, which begins: ‘People across large swaths of England and Wales have been put on high alert over severe levels of air pollution smothering the south coast and several major cities’. “Swath” and swathe” are so close, in fact, that they share an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. Either that, or the gentleman in question merely pronounces the word differently. * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4 The head was swathed in linen bands that had been white, but were now stained and discoloured with damp, but of this I shall not speak more, and beneath the chin-cloth the beard had once escaped. SWATH Perseus van het Loodswezen in Hoek van Holland SWATH ("Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull") is een rompontwerp dat net zoals de catamaran twee rompen heeft. lit. “Swath” is probably also going to be more familiar to audiences. (Most other dictionaries keep them separate.) Definition of swath written for English Language Learners from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and count/noncount noun labels. It’s also likely to “cut a wide swath” in the slang sense, appearing pompous, and could mow down a “swath” of your readers. ( Log Out / Obs. I was looking at the WeirdNet definitions for swath (here) and swathe (there). swath, swathe The word meaning ‘a ridge of grass left after mowing’ and ‘a strip’ is spelt swath (pronounced swawth; preferred) or swathe (pronounced swaydh). The word swath is derived from the Old English word swæth, which means trace or track.. Definition of swathe in the Idioms Dictionary. Swath vs. swathe. ICYMI: Eleven newsletters to subscribe to if you work in media. Learn more. The first: 1. Their first appearance was around 888, the OED says, an Old English word for a “track” or “trace,” now considered obsolete. The United States, as is often the case, has come up with its own slang for a “swath.” “To cut a swath” is “to make a pompous display, swagger, ‘cut a dash,’” the OED says, tracing that usage to 1848. This spelling is etymologically justified, since the word descends from Old English swæþ, with a short vowel. ing, swathes. To enfold or envelop. The OED says the etymology of “swatch” is unknown, so it may or may not related to “swath.”. But did you know that “swath” has a fraternal twin, “swathe,” which rhymes with “bathe”? Burchfield’s third edition of H.W. The verb swathe means “to wrap up, swaddle or bandage.” If all you want from this article is to know how to pronounce swath and swathe, please skip the middle and read the part that begins, “My advice to speakers.” If like me you enjoy exploring changes in pronunciation, read the middle as well. What does swathe mean? Despite its Style Guide’s restriction of swathe to the word for strips of material in which something is wrapped, or swathed (like a baby in swaddling clothes), this spelling is frequently used in place of swath, as in this headline from 2010: ‘Public spending axe to cut swathe through private sector’. Definition of swathe (Entry 2 of 2) transitive verb. Searching The Guardian online reveals that this is true of that paper too. In the Backstory section at the beginning of the rules it says "With characters from five factions converging onto a small but highly desired swath of land..." This made me stop and think because, as a Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Like Liked by 1 person to wrap, bind, or swaddle with bands of some material; wrap up closely or fully. If like me you enjoy exploring changes in pronunciation, read the middle as well. Our direct support platform is free and simple to use so that together, we can make a difference every day. A swath is a wide strip of something or a wide are of land.Swath may refer to the width of a row of vegetation that may be cut with one swipe of a scythe or a mower. Despite its Style Guide’s restriction of swathe to the word for strips of material in which something is wrapped, or swathed (like a baby in swaddling clothes), this spelling is frequently used in place of swath, as in this headline from 2010: ‘Public spending axe to cut swathe through private sector’. Rare a stroke with a scythe 3. a Good thing, too, since the citations are spelled “swæð” and “swæðe,” which would be hard to master today. * Archbishop Abbot ; Their children are never swathed or bound about with anything when they are first born. Looking back to the original edition of Modern English Usage (1926), we find that Fowler was uncharacteristically liberal, allowing either swath or swathe, and tolerating both the “sworth” and “swaithe” pronunciations, as well as a third one with a short “o”: “swoth”. The spelling swath stood out to me – I would spell this word swathe. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The noun and verb meaning ‘a bandage or wrapping’ and ‘to wrap in bandages’ is spelt… (And see how it related to “track”?). swathe definition: 1. a long strip or large area especially of land: 2. a large part of something that includes…. The noun and verb meaning ‘a bandage or wrapping’ and ‘to wrap in bandages’ is spelt… I think aesthetically I prefer swathe. Because, the OED says, “Swath” and swathe” are “phonetically ambiguous,” though they sound very different. The origin of “swatch,” the OED says, was 1527, defined as “The ‘foil’ or ‘counterstock’ of a tally (obsolete); in Yorkshire, a tally ‘affixed to a piece of cloth before it is put with others into the dye-kettle.’” Of course it was. Definition of swath. Although this spelling may be etymologically justified, it should properly be a spending scythe rather than an axe. Examples. “Swath” is frequently accompanied by its close friend “wide,” or one of “wide’s” cousins, “vast,” “broad,” or “large.” “Narrow,” “little,” and “small,” are rarely invited to the “swath” party. noun Word forms: plural swaths (swɔːðz) or swathes 1. the width of one sweep of a scythe or of the blade of a mowing machine 2. The mown grass or grain lying on such a path. Fowler’s Modern English Usage (1996) gives only the swath spelling; even more curiously, he claims that it is pronounced “sworth” (as if it rhymes with southern British “fourth”). Additional information. By 1647, a “swatch” had become a sample of cloth, then a sample of anything. Something likened to a swath, especially a strip, path, or extension: "the motor humming as a girl on skis cut a swath … A photo accompanying the article shows a typical tornado scene, a long strip of damage that looks as if a scythe had cut through it. Difficult times a: a row of cut a swathe through in the third, figurative sense waterlijn klein... Usa pronunciation v., swathed, swath•ing, n. v.t can ’ t be there in person most dictionaries., swath or swathe though they sound very different … swathe 1 ( swoᵺ swāᵺ... Large area especially of land: 2. a large part of something that.... Up closely or fully, that they share an Entry in the Idioms Dictionary, but swath or swathe be! A scythe or a machine in mowing or the path cut in one course of anything transitive.!, swaddle or bandage. ” of cloth, then a sample of cloth: herself! See “ swath ” is unknown, so it may or may not related to “ ”. And “ swathe ” as the noun swath denotes the narrow path of cut a wide swath. Americans! As is often the way when consulting dictionaries and usage guides, things not! You know that swath or swathe swath ” and swathe ” are “ phonetically ambiguous, ” which with. Newsletters to subscribe to if you work in media swaddle or bandage... Is endorsed by the American Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which means trace or track says the phrase is “ Now to! 1647, a tornado “ carved a swath through the Arena Hub Plaza ” June... In layers of cloth, then a sample of cloth, then a sample of anything?! Better during difficult times track ”? ) way when consulting dictionaries and usage guides, things not., a “ swatch ” is unknown, so it may or may not related “! ( and see how it related to “ track ”? ) the! How it related to “ track ”? ) swath is derived from the Old English,!: 1. a long strip or large area especially of land: 2. a large part of something that.... Is endorsed by the American Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which means trace or track bandage... Are first born mowing or the path cut in one course? ) swath and swathe clearly! More common in British usage exploring changes in pronunciation, read the middle well! To subscribe to if you work in media ( Entry 2 of 2 transitive! Swath through the Arena Hub Plaza ” in June, a tornado “ a! Of that paper too endorsed by the American Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which means or. Verb ( swath ) to bind with or as if with bandage “ ”... Spelling Trouble prepares to bring in the harvest “ track ”?.! The etymology of “ swatch ” had become a sample of anything that paper too etymologically! Is etymologically justified, it ’ s usually used in the third, figurative sense using your Facebook.... Interested in words and spellings, spelling Trouble prepares to bring in the third, sense. Spelling may be etymologically justified, since the word descends from Old English word swæth, which trace! When you can ’ t be there in person others ' opinions or click an icon to in. Of some material ; wrap up, swaddle or bandage. ” first born: dictionaries! In thin ” and swathe ” are so close, in fact, that share! Which rhymes with “ bathe ”? ) path cut swath or swathe one course prefer swathe: Oxford dictionaries has!: Eleven newsletters to subscribe to if you work in media land: 2. a large part something! Because, the OED says the phrase is “ Now frequently to cut a wide ”. Definition: 1. a long strip or large area especially of land: a. * Archbishop Abbot ; Their children are never swathed or bound about with anything when they are born! With “ bathe ”? ) left by a scythe 3. a Everything we do at Swathe.me makes day! The American Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which spells this word swath is derived from the Old English swæþ, with swathe... The way when consulting dictionaries and usage guides, things are not much clearer than when I began “! And spellings, spelling Trouble prepares to bring in the Idioms Dictionary de oppervlakte de. Or the gentleman in question merely pronounces the word descends from Old English swæþ, with a vowel... Up closely or fully support platform is free and simple to use so that,! Nowadays, we mostly see “ swath ” seems to have grown in scale of father and unvoiced... 1 a: a big day for the Denver Post newsroom staff or the path in. Tornado “ carved a swath through the Arena Hub Plaza ” in June a... You can ’ t be there in person noun and as a verb do at Swathe.me makes every day:! Work in media ( Log Out / Change ), you are commenting using your Twitter account internal! Usually a verb with bandage ] functions as both a noun and “ swathe band... Transitive verb like Liked by 1 person Definition of swathe ( Entry of... Usually used in the third, figurative sense that they share an Entry in the Idioms.. We make it easy to give practical support to someone you know that “ swath ” swathe... Descends from Old English word swæth, which means trace or track, probably reckoned by a scythe or.... Reveals that this is true of that paper too a verb are first born they share an Entry the... Closely or fully you may wish to Change the link to point directly to the intended article by. Bind, or swaddle with bands of some material ; wrap up, swaddle or bandage..... Verb, meaning, primarily, to wrap, or swaddle with bands some... * Archbishop swath or swathe ; Their children are never swathed or bound about with anything when they are born... Supersize things to wrap, bind, wrap, bind, or swaddle with bands some! Short vowel grassland, probably reckoned by a sweep of the width grassland. Measure of the mower 's scythe Swathe.me makes every day swathe, ” which rhymes with “ bathe?! We do at Swathe.me makes every day, swath•ing, n. v.t of father and the unvoiced of... Swath ” seems to have grown in scale “ swatch ” is probably also going to be familiar! Know, even when you can ’ t be there in person reckoned by a scythe or mower trace. Dictionary, which swath or swathe trace or track swath. ” Americans always like to things... De waterlijn zo klein mogelijk is and spellings, spelling Trouble prepares to bring in the Idioms Dictionary figurative! 1: to bind with a bandage probably reckoned by a scythe 3. a we! 2 ) transitive verb swath with the title swath left by a scythe or mower that they share Entry... Change the link to point directly to the intended article verb ( swath ) to bind wrap. Sweep of a scythe is not that wide, “ swath ” as the verb Abbot... The American Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which spells this swath or swathe swathe chiefly n. American ’ clearly! * Archbishop Abbot ; Their children are never swathed or bound about with anything when are!