swath

Etymology

From Middle English swath, swathe, from Old English swæþ, swaþu (“track; trace; footstep; mark; vestige; scar”), from Proto-Germanic *swaþō (“a wind-swept place; open field; borderland; terrain”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bʰ)- (“to bend, turn, swing”). Cognate with Dutch zwade, zwad (“swath; windrow”), German Schwade (“swath; windrow”), Icelandic svæði (“area; zone; sector; region”). other etymological information Corresponds to Middle Low German and Middle Dutch swat, Middle High German and MNG swade, NDu swad(e), Old Frisian 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

1. The track cut out by a scythe in mowing.
2. (often figurative) A broad sweep or expanse, such as of land or of people.
   A large swath of the population is opposed to this government policy.
   Five days after Hurricane Katrina, large swaths of New Orleans are still submerged in water.
   It is undeniable that Malcolm was a beacon of huge strength in his lifetime. He could connect with swaths of people when others could not. 20 February 2015, Jesse Jackson, “In the Ferguson era, Malcolm X’s courage in fighting racism inspires more than ever”, in The Guardian (London)