sweep
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.
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to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.
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to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave.
The wind swept the snow into drifts.
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to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement.
The painter swept a brush over his canvas.
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to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.
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to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often followed byof ).
to sweep a sea of enemy ships.
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to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc..
sandstorms sweeping the plains.
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to search (an area or building) thoroughly.
Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.
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to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.).
His eyes swept the countryside.
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to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like.
He swept his eyes over the countryside.
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to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.
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to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest).
Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.
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to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests).
The Yankees swept the three-game series.
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Music.
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to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing.
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to bring forth (music) thus.
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verb (used without object)
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to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom.
The new broom sweeps well.
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to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually followed by along, down, by, into, etc.).
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to move or pass in a swift but stately manner.
Proudly, she swept from the room.
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to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, especially a wide curve or circuit.
His glance swept around the room.
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to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.
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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
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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.
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the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption.
the sweep of the wind and the waves.
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an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.
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a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.
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reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about.
the sweep of a road about a marsh.
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a continuous extent or stretch.
a broad sweep of sand.
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a curving, especially widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.
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matter removed or gathered by sweeping.
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Also called well sweep. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.
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a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.
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an overwhelming victory in a contest.
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a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.
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Football. end run.
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one of the sails of a windmill.
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Agriculture. any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.
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Chiefly British. a person employed to clean by sweeping, especially a chimney sweeper.
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Cards.
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Whist. the winning of all the tricks in a hand.
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Casino. a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.
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Physics. an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.
verb
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to clean or clear (a space, chimney, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
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(often foll by up) to remove or collect (dirt, rubbish, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
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to move in a smooth or continuous manner, esp quickly or forcibly
cars swept along the road
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to move in a proud or dignified fashion
she swept past
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to spread or pass rapidly across, through, or along (a region, area, etc)
the news swept through the town
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(tr) to direct (the gaze, line of fire, etc) over; survey
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(tr; foll by away or off) to overwhelm emotionally
she was swept away by his charm
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(tr) to brush or lightly touch (a surface, etc)
the dress swept along the ground
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to convey, clear, or abolish, esp with strong or continuous movements
the sea swept the sandcastle away
secondary modern schools were swept away
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(intr) to extend gracefully or majestically, esp in a wide circle
the plains sweep down to the sea
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to search (a body of water) for mines, etc, by dragging
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to search (a room, area, etc) electronically to detect spying devices
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(tr) to win overwhelmingly, esp in an election
Labour swept the country
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cricket to play (a ball) with a sweep
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(tr) to propel (a boat) with sweeps
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to conceal (something, esp a problem) in the hope that it will be overlooked by others
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(in gambling) to win all the cards or money
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to win every event or prize in a contest
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noun
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the act or an instance of sweeping; removal by or as if by a brush or broom
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a swift or steady movement, esp in an arc
with a sweep of his arms
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the distance, arc, etc, through which something, such as a pendulum, moves
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a wide expanse or scope
the sweep of the plains
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any curving line or contour
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cards
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the winning of every trick in a hand of whist
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the taking, by pairing, of all exposed cards in cassino
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short for sweepstake
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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
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a long oar used on an open boat
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a person steering a surf boat with such an oar
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any of the sails of a windmill
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electronics a steady horizontal or circular movement of an electron beam across or around the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube
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agriculture
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a rakelike attachment for the front of a motor vehicle for pushing hay into piles
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a triangular blade on a cultivator used to cut through roots below the surface of the soil
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a curving driveway
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See chimney sweep
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another name for swipe
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an overwhelming victory or success
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a complete change; purge
to make a clean sweep
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Other Word Forms
- sweepable adjective
- sweepy adjective
- unsweepable adjective
Etymology
Origin of sweep1
By shortening
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
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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday announced sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
From MarketWatch
The panel questioned the sweep of his Benitez’s ruling, which “covers every parent of California’s millions of public school students and every public school employee in the state.”
From Los Angeles Times
England surrendered this series with defeats in the first three Tests, yet managed to avoid the 5-0 clean sweep with victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
From BBC
Later in the week strong winds and heavy rain could bring an additional hazard as a deep area of low pressure sweeps across the UK.
From BBC
The Joint Forces -- an umbrella organisation of armed groups fighting alongside the army -- said they had "achieved sweeping field victories in the North Kordofan axis".
From Barron's
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.
