hoover
verb (used with object)
to clean with a vacuum cleaner.
hoover
1 American
[hoo-ver]
/ ˈhu vər /
verb (used with object)
(often initial capital letter)
Hoover
2
American
[hoo-ver]
/ ˈhu vər /
noun
-
Herbert (Clark), 1874–1964, 31st president of the U.S. 1929–33.
-
J(ohn) Edgar, 1895–1972, U.S. government official: director of the FBI 1924–72.
-
Lou Henry, 1874–1944, U.S. First Lady 1929–33 (wife of Herbert Hoover).
-
a town in N central Alabama.
Hoover
1
British
/ ˈhuːvə /
noun
verb
-
to vacuum-clean (a carpet, furniture, etc)
-
to consume or dispose of (something) quickly and completely
he hoovered up his grilled fish
Hoover
2
British
/ ˈhuːvə /
noun
-
Herbert ( Clark ). 1874–1964, US statesman; 31st president of the US (1929–33). He organized relief for Europe during and after World War I, but as president he lost favour after his failure to alleviate the effects of the Depression
-
J ( ohn ) Edgar. 1895–1972, US lawyer: director of the FBI (1924–72). He used new scientific methods to combat crime, including the first fingerprint file
Etymology
Origin of hoover
First recorded in 1925–30; after the trademark of a vacuum cleaner manufacturer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Supporters of such laws argue that social media companies attract users with news stories and hoover up online advertising revenue that would otherwise go to struggling newsrooms.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
They also said the Roomba would enable Amazon to hoover up data and spy on Americans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
Rising land prices smother our ability to move, suppress fertility rates, stifle innovation, and hoover up resources that might be deployed elsewhere.
From Slate • Nov. 4, 2025
When enough of these pebbles clump together, they can collapse under their own weight to form asteroid-sized rocks, which hoover up the material around them until they’ve grown into full-sized planets.
From Space Scoop • Jul. 16, 2025
I whinged that it didn't smell of anything, but she pointed out I wasn't the one who had to hoover and unpick the needles from the carpet.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
