sweep

¹

[ sweep ]

verb (used with object)

, swept, sweep·ing.

1. to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.
2. to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.
3. to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave:

   The wind swept the snow into drifts.

4. to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement:

   The painter swept a brush over his canvas.

5. to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.
6. to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often followed by of ):

   to sweep a sea of enemy ships.

7. to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc.:

   sandstorms sweeping the plains.

8. to search (an area or building) thoroughly:

   Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.

9. to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.):

   His eyes swept the countryside.

10. to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like:

    He swept his eyes over the countryside.

11. to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.
12. to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest):

    Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.

13. to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests):

    The Yankees swept the three-game series.

14. Music.
    1. to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing.
    2. to bring forth (music) thus.

verb (used without object)

, swept, sweep·ing.

1. to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom:

   The new broom sweeps well.

2. to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually followed by along, down, by, into, etc.).
3. to move or pass in a swift but stately manner:

   Proudly, she swept from the room.

4. to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, especially a wide curve or circuit:

   His glance swept around the room.

5. to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.
6. Aeronautics. (of an airfoil or its leading or trailing edge) to project from the fuselage at an angle rearward or forward of a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

noun

1. the act of sweeping, especially a moving, removing, clearing, etc., by or as if by the use of a broom:

   to give the house a good sweep.

2. the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption:

   the sweep of the wind and the waves.

3. an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.
4. a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.
5. reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about:

   the sweep of a road about a marsh.

6. a continuous extent or stretch:

   a broad sweep of sand.

7. a curving, especially widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.
8. matter removed or gathered by sweeping.
9. Also called well sweep. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.
10. a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.
11. an overwhelming victory in a contest.
12. a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.
13. Football. end run ( def 1 ).
14. one of the sails of a windmill.
15. Agriculture. any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.
16. Chiefly British. a person employed to clean by sweeping, especially a chimney sweeper.
17. Cards.
    1. Whist. the winning of all the tricks in a hand. Compare slam ²( def 1 ).
    2. Casino. a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.
18. Physics. an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.

sweep

²

[ sweep ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a sweepstakes.

sweep

/ swiːp /

verb

1. to clean or clear (a space, chimney, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
2. often foll by up to remove or collect (dirt, rubbish, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
3. to move in a smooth or continuous manner, esp quickly or forcibly

   cars swept along the road

4. to move in a proud or dignified fashion

   she swept past

5. to spread or pass rapidly across, through, or along (a region, area, etc)

   the news swept through the town

6. tr to direct (the gaze, line of fire, etc) over; survey
7. tr; foll by away or off to overwhelm emotionally

   she was swept away by his charm

8. tr to brush or lightly touch (a surface, etc)

   the dress swept along the ground

9. troften foll byaway to convey, clear, or abolish, esp with strong or continuous movements

   secondary modern schools were swept away

   the sea swept the sandcastle away

10. intr to extend gracefully or majestically, esp in a wide circle

    the plains sweep down to the sea

11. to search (a body of water) for mines, etc, by dragging
12. to search (a room, area, etc) electronically to detect spying devices
13. tr to win overwhelmingly, esp in an election

    Labour swept the country

14. cricket to play (a ball) with a sweep
15. tr to propel (a boat) with sweeps
16. sweep something under the carpet or sweep something under the rug
    to conceal (something, esp a problem) in the hope that it will be overlooked by others
17. sweep the board
    1. (in gambling) to win all the cards or money
    2. to win every event or prize in a contest

noun

1. the act or an instance of sweeping; removal by or as if by a brush or broom
2. a swift or steady movement, esp in an arc

   with a sweep of his arms

3. the distance, arc, etc, through which something, such as a pendulum, moves
4. a wide expanse or scope

   the sweep of the plains

5. any curving line or contour
6. cards
   1. the winning of every trick in a hand of whist
   2. the taking, by pairing, of all exposed cards in cassino
7. short for sweepstake
8. cricket a shot in which the ball is hit more or less square on the leg side from a half-kneeling position with the bat held nearly horizontal
9. 1. a long oar used on an open boat
   2. a person steering a surf boat with such an oar
10. any of the sails of a windmill
11. electronics a steady horizontal or circular movement of an electron beam across or around the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube
12. agriculture
    1. a rakelike attachment for the front of a motor vehicle for pushing hay into piles
    2. a triangular blade on a cultivator used to cut through roots below the surface of the soil
13. a curving driveway
14. See chimney sweep
15. another name for swipe
16. clean sweep
    1. an overwhelming victory or success
    2. a complete change; purge

       to make a clean sweep

Derived Forms

• ˈsweepy, adjective

Other Words From

• sweepa·ble adjective
• un·sweepa·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweep¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English swepen (verb); compare Old English geswēpa “sweepings,” derivative of swāpan “to sweep” or directly from obsolete English swope ); cognate with German schweifen

Origin of sweep²

By shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweep¹

C13 swepen; related to Old English swāpan, Old Norse sveipa; see swipe , swoop

Idioms and Phrases

• make a clean sweep
• new broom sweeps clean
• (sweep) off someone's feet

Example Sentences

Instead, he was joining other teachers sweeping up material from an early morning fire underneath the stadium bleachers that severely damaged the press box.

From Los Angeles Times

A key Los Angeles City Council committee signed off on a sweeping rezoning plan Tuesday that would focus new market rate and affordable housing on commercial corridors and in existing dense residential neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times

The city was preparing to sweep the street encampment, and this time would be arresting people under a new ordinance that bans camping in public spaces.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has yet to make a decision about that post, which has sweeping authority in areas such as economic and tax policy.

From BBC

A forthcoming request to force the sale of the Chrome browser, according to Bloomberg, would be one of the most sweeping competition demands in years.

From New York Times

Related Words

• span
• stretch