swathe

Swathe is a noun with several related meanings. The primary sense is a broad strip or belt of land, water, or vegetation. It can refer to a long, wide region, such as a swathe of fields, forest, or coastline, and is often used in figurative language to denote a large extent or impact, as in "a swathe of destruction." The noun also denotes a length or strip of fabric, cloth, or bandage used to wrap or protect something.

As a verb, swathe means to wrap or envelop something in fabric or other material, or to cover with a wide layer. It is common in medical contexts (to swathe a limb in bandages) and in general usage (to be swathed in blankets). In agriculture, swathing is the practice of cutting cereal or forage crops and laying them in a row to dry before threshing or baling. The resulting line of cut crop is called a swath; when the cut crop is laid out in a long row, it is sometimes called a windrow. Modern harvesters may perform swathing or harvest directly without swathing, depending on crop and conditions.

Etymology is uncertain, but the word has been used in English for centuries to describe broad, sweeping quantities or areas, as well as the physical act of wrapping.