different between cloak vs swathe

English

Alternative forms

• cloke (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English cloke, from Old Northern French cloque (“travelling cloak”), from Medieval Latin clocca (“travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so called from the garment’s bell-like shape”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos-, ultimately imitative.

Doublet of clock.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?klo?k/
• Rhymes: -??k

Noun

cloak (plural cloaks)

1. A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
2. A blanket-like covering, often metaphorical.

3. (figuratively)  That which conceals; a disguise or pretext.

   No man is esteemed any ways considerable for policy who wears religion otherwise than as a cloak.

4. (Internet) A text replacement for an IRC user's hostname or IP address, making the user less identifiable.

Derived terms

• cloak and dagger

Translations

See also

• burnoose, burnous, burnouse
• domino costume

Verb

cloak (third-person singular simple present cloaks, present participle cloaking, simple past and past participle cloaked)

1. (transitive) To cover as with a cloak.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To cover up, hide or conceal.
3. (science fiction, transitive, intransitive) To render or become invisible via futuristic technology.

   The ship cloaked before entering the enemy sector of space.

Derived terms

• cloaking device

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /swe?ð/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /sw?ð/, /swe?ð/, /sw?ð/
• Rhymes: -e?ð

Etymology 1

From Middle English swathe, swath, from Old English swaþu, swæþ (“bandage”), probably akin to Old English swaþul, sweþel (“a swathe, wrap, band, bandage”).

Noun

swathe (plural swathes)

1. A bandage; a band

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English swathen, from Old English *swaþian, akin to Old English besweþian (“to swathe, swaddle”).

Verb

swathe (third-person singular simple present swathes, present participle swathing, simple past and past participle swathed)

1. To bind with a swathe, band, bandage, or rollers
   • 1664, A briefe description of the whole world wherein is particularly described all the monarchies, empires, and kingdoms of the same, with their academies, as also their severall titles and scituations thereunto adjoyning, Archbishop Abbot, quoted in A Dictionary of the English Language, Samuel Johnson, 1755

     Their children are never swathed, or bound about with any thing when they are first born' but are put naked into the bed with their parents to lie.

   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, 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.

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English swathe, from Old English swaþu (“track, trace”), from Proto-Germanic *swaþ?. More at swath.

Noun

swathe (plural swathes)

1. (chiefly British) Alternative spelling of swath
   • 2012, The Economist, Sep 29th 2012 issue, Venezuela’s presidential election: The autocrat and the ballot box

     As well as the advantages of abused office, Mr Chávez can boast enduring popularity among a broad swathe of poorer Venezuelans. They like him for his charisma, humble background and demotic speech.

Translations

Anagrams

• Wheats, saweth, wheats

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English swaþu, swæþ.

Alternative forms

• suaþe, swaþe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?swa?ð(?)/, /?swa?/

Noun

swathe (plural swathez) (rare)

2. A strip or wrap, especially for wrapping babies in.

Related terms

• swathel, swethel
• swathen
• swathing

Descendants

• English: swaðe

References

• “sw??th(e, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-24.

Etymology 2

From Old English swaþu, from Proto-Germanic *swaþ?, from Proto-Indo-European *swem(b?)- (“to bend, turn, swing”).

Alternative forms

• swath, swað, swad
• (influenced by sward) swarth

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?swa?ð(?)/, /?swa?/

Noun

swathe (plural swathes)

2. A swath; the track left by a scythe.
3. (rare) A strip of land as a unit of measure.
4. (rare) A trace left behind by something.

Descendants

• English: swath, swathe
• Scots: swa, swarth

References

• “sw??th(e, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-24.