swatch

[ swoch ]

noun

1. a sample of cloth or other material.
2. a sample, patch, or characteristic specimen of anything.

swatch

/ swɒtʃ /

noun

1. a sample of cloth
2. a number of such samples, usually fastened together in book form
3. printing
   1. a small sample of colour supplied to the printer for matching during printing
   2. a sample of ink spread on paper by a printer to check the accuracy of a required colour

Word History and Origins

Origin of swatch¹

First recorded in 1505–15; akin to switch

Word History and Origins

Origin of swatch¹

C16: Scottish and northern English, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

He taught himself on a small loom, creating intricate swatches of fabric, before expanding into ready-to-wear and formally launching his brand in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times

Of those, 14 are fully painted, 10 are in varying stages of completion, seven are covered in paint swatches and two are haphazardly skim-coated.

From Los Angeles Times

There is only one highway into Enga Province and Care Australia said debris had fallen across large swatches of the road, limiting access to the rescue site.

From BBC

On her worktable lay swatches of the silk and Lurex she would soon use to render her paintings and drawings into textiles.

From New York Times

Oral traditions and archaeological evidence indicate the Blackfoot Indigenous peoples and their ancestors have inhabited a broad swatch of North America for more than 10,000 years.

From Science Magazine