sweep

[ sweep ]

/ swip /

verb (used with object), swept, sweep·ing.

to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.

to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.

to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave: The wind swept the snow into drifts.

to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement: The painter swept a brush over his canvas.

to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.

to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often followed by of): to sweep a sea of enemy ships.

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

to search (an area or building) thoroughly: Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.

to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.): His eyes swept the countryside.

to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like: He swept his eyes over the countryside.

to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.

to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest): Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.

to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests): The Yankees swept the three-game series.

Music.

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

verb (used without object), swept, sweep·ing.

to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom: The new broom sweeps well.

to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually followed by along, down, by, into, etc.).

to move or pass in a swift but stately manner: Proudly, she swept from the room.

to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, especially a wide curve or circuit: His glance swept around the room.

to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.

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

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.

the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption: the sweep of the wind and the waves.

an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.

a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.

reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about: the sweep of a road about a marsh.

a continuous extent or stretch: a broad sweep of sand.

a curving, especially widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.

matter removed or gathered by sweeping.

Also called well sweep. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.

a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.

an overwhelming victory in a contest.

a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.

Football. end run.

one of the sails of a windmill.

Agriculture. any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.

Chiefly British. a person employed to clean by sweeping, especially a chimney sweeper.

Cards.

Whist. the winning of all the tricks in a hand.Compare slam²(def 1).
Casino. a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.

Physics. an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.

Origin of sweep

1250–1300; Middle English swepen (v.); compare Old English geswēpa sweepings, derivative of swāpan to sweep (> obsolete English swope); cognate with German schweifen

OTHER WORDS FROM sweep

sweep·a·ble, adjective un·sweep·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby sweep

swedish nightingale, swedish turnip, swedish vallhund, sweelinck, sweeny, sweep, sweep account, sweep check, sweep hand, sweep off someone's feet, sweep under the rug

Definition for sweep (2 of 2)

sweep ²

[ sweep ]

/ swip /

noun Slang.

a sweepstakes.

Also sweeps.

Origin of sweep

by shortening

Example sentences from the Web for sweep

Decorative yes, but a daily handbag that will sweep through the closets of women worldwide?

Handbags: The More You Pay, The Smaller They Shrink |Elizabeth Landers |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The “24-hour news cycle” just makes them harder to sweep under the rug and ignore.

I Blame People Who Blame the Media: Robert McCulloch’s Tone-Deaf Speech |Arthur Chu |November 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The remains were shipped to Fiji just as the war was about to sweep the region.

How Amelia's Plane Was Found |Michael Daly |October 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The sweep team and the motorcade soon arrived at the United Nations, where Obama delivered an address about climate change.

The President and the Tow Truck Driver |Michael Daly |September 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The sweep team was leading the way when it came upon an unattended red car parked along the route.

The President and the Tow Truck Driver |Michael Daly |September 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The chanter, evidently out of respect for Nekhludoff, wished to sweep around him, and thus it happened that he grazed Katiousha.

The Awakening |Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy
A star shot down the sky, and I wished that a wind as swift and strong would rise and sweep the land out to sea.

Audrey |Mary Johnston
Morton was standing at the door of his cabin looking out on that sweep of plains with thoughtful eyes.

The Price of the Prairie |Margaret Hill McCarter
There are many of them, and as they sweep along they are a sight to be looked at with trembling.

The Fair God |Lew Wallace
The word was like an explosion setting things loose in his brain, and the touch of her hand sent a sweep of fire through him.

The Alaskan |James Oliver Curwood

British Dictionary definitions for sweep

sweep

/ (swiːp) /

verb sweeps, sweeping or swept

to clean or clear (a space, chimney, etc) with a brush, broom, etc

(often foll by up) to remove or collect (dirt, rubbish, etc) with a brush, broom, etc

to move in a smooth or continuous manner, esp quickly or forcibly cars swept along the road

to move in a proud or dignified fashion she swept past

to spread or pass rapidly across, through, or along (a region, area, etc) the news swept through the town

(tr) to direct (the gaze, line of fire, etc) over; survey

(tr; foll by away or off) to overwhelm emotionally she was swept away by his charm

(tr) to brush or lightly touch (a surface, etc) the dress swept along the ground

(tr often foll by away) to convey, clear, or abolish, esp with strong or continuous movements the sea swept the sandcastle away; secondary modern schools were swept away

(intr) to extend gracefully or majestically, esp in a wide circle the plains sweep down to the sea

to search (a body of water) for mines, etc, by dragging

to search (a room, area, etc) electronically to detect spying devices

(tr) to win overwhelmingly, esp in an election Labour swept the country

cricket to play (a ball) with a sweep

(tr) to propel (a boat) with sweeps

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

sweep the board

(in gambling) to win all the cards or money
to win every event or prize in a contest

noun

the act or an instance of sweeping; removal by or as if by a brush or broom

a swift or steady movement, esp in an arc with a sweep of his arms

the distance, arc, etc, through which something, such as a pendulum, moves

a wide expanse or scope the sweep of the plains

any curving line or contour

cards

the winning of every trick in a hand of whist
the taking, by pairing, of all exposed cards in cassino

short for sweepstake

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

a long oar used on an open boat
Australian a person steering a surf boat with such an oar

any of the sails of a windmill

electronics a steady horizontal or circular movement of an electron beam across or around the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube

agriculture

a rakelike attachment for the front of a motor vehicle for pushing hay into piles
a triangular blade on a cultivator used to cut through roots below the surface of the soil

a curving driveway

mainly British See chimney sweep

another name for swipe (def. 6)

clean sweep

an overwhelming victory or success
a complete change; purgeto make a clean sweep

Derived forms of sweep

sweepy, adjective

Word Origin for sweep

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

Idioms and Phrases with sweep

sweep

In addition to the idioms beginning with sweep

sweep off someone's feet
sweep under the rug

also see:

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

sweep

verb (used with object), swept, sweep·ing.

verb (used without object), swept, sweep·ing.

noun

Origin of sweep

OTHER WORDS FROM sweep

Words nearby sweep

Definition for sweep (2 of 2)

noun Slang.

Origin of sweep

Example sentences from the Web for sweep

British Dictionary definitions for sweep

verb sweeps, sweeping or swept

noun

Derived forms of sweep

Word Origin for sweep

Idioms and Phrases with sweep

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

sweep

verb (used with object), swept, sweep·ing.

verb (used without object), swept, sweep·ing.

noun

Origin of sweep

OTHER WORDS FROM sweep

Words nearby sweep

Definition for sweep (2 of 2)

noun Slang.

Origin of sweep

Words related to sweep

Example sentences from the Web for sweep

British Dictionary definitions for sweep

verb sweeps, sweeping or swept

noun

Derived forms of sweep

Word Origin for sweep

Idioms and Phrases with sweep