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Definition of swiss cheese

swiss cheese

Plural:Swiss cheeses
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• noun

1

North American A mild, pale yellow cheese characterized by large holes or 'eyes', originally modeled after traditional Alpine varieties.

Example

"He ordered a deli sandwich layered with smoked ham, mustard, and a thick slice of Swiss cheese."

2

A concept, object, or system that is characterized by having numerous gaps, missing components, or fundamental logical flaws.

Example

"The defense attorney quickly demonstrated that the prosecution's circumstantial case was essentially Swiss cheese."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
View all antonyms for swiss cheese

Word Nuance & Usage

While primarily a culinary term, it is frequently used metaphorically (often attributively) to describe an argument, memory, or security system that is thoroughly flawed or full of glaring gaps.

• Nearby Words

swishy
swiss
swiss chard
swiss cheese
switch
switchable
switchback

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Swiss cheese. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/swiss-cheese
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