swatch
/swɔtʃ/
Definition
- Noun:
- A sample piece of cloth: A small piece of fabric used as a representative sample to show its color, texture, pattern, or quality.
Usage
- The word "swatch" is primarily used as a countable noun.
- It is most commonly used in contexts related to textiles, fashion, interior design, and crafts.
- It refers to a physical sample, often cut from a larger bolt of fabric or material.
Examples
- Noun:
- The designer sent several fabric swatches for the client to choose from.
- I keep a swatch of the curtain fabric to match paint colors.
- Before buying the expensive wool, she examined a swatch carefully.
Advanced Usage
- "Swatch book": A book or folder containing many fabric or material samples bound together for easy reference.
- The upholsterer showed us a swatch book full of leather samples.
- The term can be extended metaphorically to refer to a small sample or representative piece of other things, though this is less common.
- The gallery displayed a swatch of the artist's work from different periods.
Variants and Related Words
- Swatch can function as a verb meaning to take a sample of or to match using a sample, but this usage is rare.
- The inspector swatched the dye lot for consistency.
Synonyms
- Sample: A small part or quantity intended to show what the whole is like.
- Specimen: An individual animal, plant, piece of a mineral, etc., used as an example of its species or type for scientific study or display.
- Snippet: A small piece or brief extract.
Related Phrases
- Color swatch: A sample, often on paper or card, showing a specific color.
- The paint store provides color swatches for all their available shades.
- Fabric swatch: The most common type, specifically a piece of cloth.
- Always request a fabric swatch when ordering furniture online.
Noun
-
a sample piece of cloth
