swath
[swˈɑθ] /ˈswäth How to pronounce swath (audio) ˈswȯth/ (ame, mw)
swath — noun
1. a wide stretch or belt of ground, often forming a large continuous part of a lan
a wide stretch or belt of ground, often forming a large continuous part of a landscape
A vast swath of desert stretched between the two mountain ranges.
collocation: swath of + landscape noun (desert, forest, land)
Wildfires destroyed a broad swath of forest north of the highway.
The new road cuts a wide swath through farmland that was once quiet.
From the plane, Jessica could see a green swath of rice paddies below.
The storm left a swath of flattened crops across the valley floor.
2. the strip of field cut in one pass by a reaping tool or combine harvester, toget
the strip of field cut in one pass by a reaping tool or combine harvester, together with the mown stalks and ears resting on it
Ezra swung the scythe and left a clean swath of cut barley behind him.
The combine harvester cut a swath twelve metres wide through the wheat.
Farm workers tied the fallen grain into bundles, swath by swath.
A single swath of mown alfalfa lay drying under the afternoon sun.
Trang walked along the swath, gathering what the machine had missed.
用法筆記
Also appears in the figurative phrase 'cut a wide swath' (behaving in a way that attracts notice), which extends the farming image to social contexts.
3. a broad portion or segment of a group, population, or subject area that takes in
a broad portion or segment of a group, population, or subject area that takes in many different elements at once
Mayor Okonkwo's rent-control proposal angered a wide swath of voters across the city's northern suburbs.
collocation: wide swath of + group noun (voters, listeners)
Yuki's blend of jazz and folk music appeals to a broad swath of listeners, from teenagers to pensioners.
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease affected a significant swath of the cattle population in County Meath.
A growing swath of staff at the Fujitsu office in Osaka now prefer to work from home.
Professor Adebayo's latest book covers an impressive swath of European history, from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance.
- segment
more neutral; any divided part without the sense of breadth
- portion
suggests an allocated share rather than a broad sweep
- cross-section
emphasises variety contained within a representative sample
用法筆記
Common in journalism and formal writing. Subject is usually a collective or abstract category (voters, society, history, the economy).
4. a lengthy piece of woven material, often wound or wrapped around something
a lengthy piece of woven material, often wound or wrapped around something
The nurse wrapped a swath of clean linen around the burn.
collocation: wrap/drape a swath of + fabric (linen, silk)
Gabriel tied a swath of deep blue silk around the wooden gift box.
Sora draped a swath of embroidered cloth over the wooden table.
A swath of red velvet hung from the balcony railing.
The tailor cut a long swath of wool for the coat's lining.
用法筆記
Now mostly literary or historical. Modern speakers more commonly say 'strip of cloth' or specify the item (bandage, sash, wrap).