vacuum cleaner

American  

noun

• vacuum cleaners
  plural

1. an electrical appliance for cleaning carpets, floors, etc., by suction.

---

vacuum cleaner British  

noun

1. an electrical household appliance used for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, etc, by suction

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vacuum cleaning
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vacuum cleaners
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vacuum cleaner

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vacuum cleaner

Sebastien Leas, a forecaster at France's weather service, likened it to a "vacuum cleaner, drawing in heat and masses of hot air rising from North Africa" and blasting it northward in a violent torrent.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

There are 1,200 people working here, making Henry, the famous little red vacuum cleaner, and his pink friend Henrietta.

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

Could this year’s hottest Valentine’s Day gift be…a vacuum cleaner?

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026

A possessed vacuum cleaner sparks a revolution in “A Useful Ghost,” a satire that’s “Brazil” by way of Bangkok.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

To make matters worse, the little toe on my right foot got stuck in the vacuum cleaner.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank