Adjacent Words

Sweep definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SWEEP, v.t. pret. and pp. swept.
1. To brush or rub over with a brush, broom or besom, for removing loose dirt; to clean by brushing; as, to sweep a chimney or a floor. When we say, to sweep a room, we mean, to sweep the floor of the room; and to sweep the house, is to sweep the floors of the house.
2. To carry with a long swinging or dragging motion; to carry with pomp.
And like a peacock, sweep along his tail.
3. To drive or carry along or off by a long brushing stroke or force, or by flowing on the earth. Thus the wind sweeps the snow from the tops of the hills; a river sweeps away a dam, timber or rubbish; a flood sweeps away a bridge or a house. Hence,
4. To drive, destroy or carry off many at a stroke, or with celerity and violence; as, a pestilence sweeps off multitudes in a few days. The conflagration swept away whole streets of houses.
I have already swept the stakes.
5. To rub over.
Their long descending train,
With rubies edg'd and sapphires, swept the plain.
6. To strike with a long stroke.
Wake into voice each silent string,
And sweep the sounding lyre.
7. To draw or drag over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net, or with the bight of a rope, to hook an anchor.
SWEEP, v.i. To pass with swiftness and violence, as something broad or brushing the surface of any thing; as a sweeping rain; a sweeping flood. A fowl that flies near the surface of land or water, is said to sweep along near the surface.
1. To pass over or brush along with celerity and force; as, the wind sweeps along the plain.
2. To pass with pomp; as, a person sweeps along with a trail.
She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies.
3. To move with a long reach; as a sweeping stroke.
SWEEP, n. The act of sweeping.
1. The compass of a stroke; as a long sweep.
2. The compass of any turning body or motion; as the sweep of a door.
3. The compass of any thing flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away every thing within its sweep.
4. Violent and general destruction; as the sweep of an epidemic disease.
5. Direction of any motion not rectilinear; as the sweep of a compass.
6. The mold of a ship when she begins to compass in, at the rung heads; also, any part of a ship shaped by the segment of a circle; as a floor-sweep; a back-sweep, etc.
7. Among refiners of metals, the almost-furnace.
8. Among seamen, a large oar, used to assist the rudder in turning a ship in a calm, or to increase her velocity in a chase, etc.
Sweep of the tiller, a circular frame on which the tiller traverses in large ships.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a wide scope; "the sweep of the plains" [syn: sweep, expanse]
2: someone who cleans soot from chimneys [syn: chimneysweeper, chimneysweep, sweep]
3: winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge [syn: slam, sweep]
4: a long oar used in an open boat [syn: sweep, sweep oar]
5: (American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running around the end of the line [syn: end run, sweep]
6: a movement in an arc; "a sweep of his arm" v
1: sweep across or over; "Her long skirt brushed the floor"; "A gasp swept cross the audience" [syn: brush, sweep]
2: move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions; "The diva swept into the room"; "Shreds of paper sailed through the air"; "The searchlights swept across the sky" [syn: sweep, sail]
3: sweep with a broom or as if with a broom; "Sweep the crumbs off the table"; "Sweep under the bed" [syn: sweep, broom]
4: force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action; "They were swept up by the events"; "don't drag me into this business" [syn: embroil, tangle, sweep, sweep up, drag, drag in]
5: to cover or extend over an area or time period; "Rivers traverse the valley floor", "The parking lot spans 3 acres"; "The novel spans three centuries" [syn: cross, traverse, span, sweep]
6: clean by sweeping; "Please sweep the floor"
7: win an overwhelming victory in or on; "Her new show dog swept all championships"
8: cover the entire range of
9: make a big sweeping gesture or movement [syn: swing, sweep, swing out]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (swept; sweeping) Etymology: Middle English swepen; akin to Old English sw?pan to sweep, Old High German sweifen to wander Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush <swept the crumbs from the table> b. to destroy completely ; wipe out — usually used with away <everything she cherished, might be swept away overnight — Louis Bromfield> c. to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action <swept the books off the desk> d. to remove from sight or consideration <the problem can't be swept under the rug> e. to drive or carry along with irresistible force <a wave of protest that swept the opposition into office> 2. a. to clean with or as if with a broom or brush b. to clear by repeated and forcible action c. to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly <fire swept the business district — American Guide Series: Maryland> d. to win an overwhelming victory in or on <sweep the elections> e. to win all the games or contests of <sweep a double-header> <sweep a series> 3. to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement 4. to trace or describe the locus or extent of (as a line, circle, or angle) 5. to cover the entire range of <his eyes swept the horizon> intransitive verb 1. a. to clean a surface with or as if with a broom b. to move swiftly, forcefully, or devastatingly <the wind swept through the treetops> 2. to go with stately or sweeping movements <proudly swept into the room> 3. to move or extend in a wide curve or range II. noun Date: 1548 1. something that sweeps or works with a sweeping motion: as a. a long pole or timber pivoted on a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well b. a triangular cultivator blade that cuts off weeds under the soil surface c. a windmill sail 2. a. an instance of sweeping; especially a clearing out or away with or as if with a broom b. the removal from the table in one play in casino of all the cards by pairing or combining c. an overwhelming victory d. a winning of all the contests or prizes in a competition e. a wide-ranging search of an area (as by police) 3. a. a movement of great range and force b. a curving or circular course or line c. the compass of a sweeping movement ; scope d. a broad unbroken area or extent <a sweep of wildflowers> e. an end run in football in which one or more linemen pull back and run interference for the ballcarrier 4. chimney sweep 5. sweepstakes 6. obliquity with respect to a reference line <sweep of an airplane wing>; especially sweepback 7. plural a television ratings period during which surveys are taken to determine advertising rates Synonyms: see range

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (past and past part. swept) 1 tr. clean or clear (a room or area etc.) with or as with a broom. 2 intr. (often foll. by up) clean a room etc. in this way. 3 tr. (often foll. by up) collect or remove (dirt or litter etc.) by sweeping. 4 tr. (foll. by aside, away, etc.) a push with or as with a broom. b dismiss or reject abruptly (their objections were swept aside). 5 tr. (foll. by along, down, etc.) carry or drive along with force. 6 tr. (foll. by off, away, etc.) remove or clear forcefully. 7 tr. traverse swiftly or lightly (the wind swept the hillside). 8 tr. impart a sweeping motion to (swept his hand across). 9 tr. swiftly cover or affect (a new fashion swept the country). 10 intr. a glide swiftly; speed along with unchecked motion. b go majestically. 11 intr. (of geographical features etc.) have continuous extent. 12 tr. drag (a river-bottom etc.) to search for something. 13 tr. (of artillery etc.) include in the line of fire; cover the whole of. 14 tr. propel (a barge etc.) with sweeps. --n. 1 the act or motion or an instance of sweeping. 2 a curve in the road, a sweeping line of a hill, etc. 3 range or scope (beyond the sweep of the human mind). 4 = chimney-sweep. 5 a sortie by aircraft. 6 colloq. = SWEEPSTAKE. 7 a long oar worked from a barge etc. 8 the sail of a windmill. 9 a long pole mounted as a lever for raising buckets from a well. 10 Electronics the movement of a beam across the screen of a cathode-ray tube. Phrases and idioms: make a clean sweep of 1 completely abolish or expel. 2 win all the prizes etc. in (a competition etc.). sweep away 1 abolish swiftly. 2 (usu. in passive) powerfully affect, esp. emotionally. sweep the board 1 win all the money in a gambling-game. 2 win all possible prizes etc. sweep-second hand a second hand on a clock or watch, moving on the same dial as the other hands. sweep under the carpet see CARPET. swept-back (of an aircraft wing) fixed at an acute angle to the fuselage, inclining outwards towards the rear. swept-up (of hair) = UPSWEPT. swept-wing (of an aircraft) having swept-back wings. Etymology: ME swepe (earlier swope) f. OE swapan

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sweep Sweep, v. i. 1. To clean rooms, yards, etc., or to clear away dust, dirt, litter, etc., with a broom, brush, or the like. 2. To brush swiftly over the surface of anything; to pass with switness and force, as if brushing the surface of anything; to move in a stately manner; as, the wind sweeps across the plain; a woman sweeps through a drawing-room. 3. To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sweep Sweep, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swept; p. pr. & vb. n. Sweeping.] [OE. swepen; akin to AS. sw[=a]pan. See Swoop, v. i.] 1. To pass a broom across (a surface) so as to remove loose dirt, dust, etc.; to brush, or rub over, with a broom for the purpose of cleaning; as, to sweep a floor, the street, or a chimney. Used also figuratively. I will sweep it with the besom of destruction. --Isa. xiv. 23. 2. To drive or carry along or off with a broom or a brush, or as if with a broom; to remove by, or as if by, brushing; as, to sweep dirt from a floor; the wind sweeps the snow from the hills; a freshet sweeps away a dam, timber, or rubbish; a pestilence sweeps off multitudes. The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. --Isa. xxviii. 17. I have already swept the stakes. --Dryden. 3. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along. Their long descending train, With rubies edged and sapphires, swept the plain. --Dryden. 4. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion. And like a peacock sweep along his tail. --Shak. 5. To strike with a long stroke. Wake into voice each silent string, And sweep the sounding lyre. --Pope. 6. (Naut.) To draw or drag something over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net. 7. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation; as, to sweep the heavens with a telescope. To sweep, or sweep up, a mold (Founding), to form the sand into a mold by a templet, instead of compressing it around the pattern.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sweep Sweep, n. 1. The act of sweeping. 2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep. 3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye. 4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep. 5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. 6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass. 7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line. The road which makes a small sweep. --Sir W. Scott. 8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper. 9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding. 10. (Naut.) (a) The mold of a ship when she begins to curve in at the rungheads; any part of a ship shaped in a segment of a circle. (b) A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them. 11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [Obs.] 12. A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water. [Variously written swape, sweep, swepe, and swipe.] 13. (Card Playing) In the game of casino, a pairing or combining of all the cards on the board, and so removing them all; in whist, the winning of all the tricks (thirteen) in a hand; a slam. 14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. Sweep net, a net for drawing over a large compass. Sweep of the tiller (Naut.), a circular frame on which the tiller traverses.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sweep Sweep, n. 1. The act of sweeping. 2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep. 3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye. 4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep. 5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. 6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass. 7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line. The road which makes a small sweep. --Sir W. Scott. 8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper. 9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding. 10. (Naut.) (a) The mold of a ship when she begins to curve in at the rungheads; any part of a ship shaped in a segment of a circle. (b) A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them. 11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [Obs.] 12. A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water. [Variously written swape, sweep, swepe, and swipe.] 13. (Card Playing) In the game of casino, a pairing or combining of all the cards on the board, and so removing them all; in whist, the winning of all the tricks (thirteen) in a hand; a slam. 14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. Sweep net, a net for drawing over a large compass. Sweep of the tiller (Naut.), a circular frame on which the tiller traverses.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(sweeps, sweeping, swept) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you sweep an area of floor or ground, you push dirt or rubbish off it using a brush with a long handle. The owner of the store was sweeping his floor when I walked in... She was in the kitchen sweeping crumbs into a dust pan... Norma picked up the broom and began sweeping. VERB: V n, V n prep/adv, V, also V n with adv 2. If you sweep things off something, you push them off with a quick smooth movement of your arm. With a gesture of frustration, she swept the cards from the table... 'Thanks friend,' he said, while sweeping the money into his pocket. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv 3. If someone with long hair sweeps their hair into a particular style, they put it into that style. ...stylish ways of sweeping your hair off your face... Her long, fine hair was swept back in a ponytail. VERB: V n prep/adv, V-ed 4. If your arm or hand sweeps in a particular direction, or if you sweep it there, it moves quickly and smoothly in that direction. His arm swept around the room... Daniels swept his arm over his friend's shoulder. ...the long sweeping arm movements of a violinist. VERB: V prep/adv, V n prep/adv, V-ing • Sweep is also a noun. With one sweep of her hand she threw back the sheets. N-COUNT 5. If wind, a stormy sea, or another strong force sweeps someone or something along, it moves them quickly along. ...landslides that buried homes and swept cars into the sea... Suddenly, she was swept along by the crowd. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv 6. If you are swept somewhere, you are taken there very quickly. The visitors were swept past various monuments... A limousine swept her along the busy freeway to the airport. VERB: be V-ed prep/adv, V n prep/adv 7. If something sweeps from one place to another, it moves there extremely quickly. (WRITTEN) An icy wind swept through the streets... The car swept past the gate house. VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv 8. If events, ideas, or beliefs sweep through a place, they spread quickly through it. A flu epidemic is sweeping through Moscow. ...the wave of patriotism sweeping the country. VERB: V through/across n, V n 9. If someone sweeps into a place, they walk into it in a proud, confident way, often when they are angry. (WRITTEN) She swept into the conference room... Scarlet with rage, she swept past her employer and stormed up the stairs... The Chief turned and swept out. VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V prep/adv 10. If a person or group sweeps an election or sweeps to victory, they win the election easily. ...a man who's promised to make radical changes to benefit the poor has swept the election... In both republics, centre-right parties swept to power. VERB: V n, V to n 11. If someone makes a sweep of a place, they search it, usually because they are looking for people who are hiding or for an illegal activity. Two of the soldiers swiftly began making a sweep of the premises... N-COUNT: usu sing 12. see also sweeping, chimney sweep 13. If someone sweeps something bad or wrong under the carpet, or if they sweep it under the rug, they try to prevent people from hearing about it. For a long time this problem has been swept under the carpet. PHRASE: V inflects 14. If you make a clean sweep of something such as a series of games or tournaments, you win them all. ...the first club to make a clean sweep of all three trophies. PHRASE: PHR n, usu v PHR 15. to sweep the board: see board

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Clean (with a broom), brush. 2. Graze, touch (in passing), brush, rub over. 3. Traverse, pass over. 4. Carry off, sweep off, sweep away. 5. Carry with pomp, flourish. II. n. 1. Range, compass, scope, reach. 2. Swipe, swape, well-sweep. 3. Destruction, havoc, ravage, devastation. 4. Sweeper, chimney-sweep. 5. Curve, curvature, flexure, bend.

Moby Thesaurus

Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, S-curve, aberrancy, aberration, advance, airscape, ambit, arc, arch, ball the jack, barrel, be effortless, be painless, bend, bend back, bending, bias, bingo, boom, bow, bowing, bowl, bowl along, branching off, breeze, breeze along, broom, brush, brush by, brush off, bunt, butt, carry, cascade, cataract, chase, chimney sweep, circle, circuitousness, cityscape, class lottery, clean, cleanser, clear, clear sight, clearance, clip, cloudscape, coast, coasting, color vision, compass, cone vision, conflexure, corner, course, cover, crook, crossing sweeper, curl, curvature, curve, cut along, dash, day vision, daylight vision, declination, decurve, deflect, deflection, deluge, demolish, departure, depredate, despoil, destroy, detour, deviance, deviancy, deviation, deviousness, diapason, digression, discernment, discursion, divagation, divarication, divergence, diversion, do, dogleg, dome, double, draft lottery, drawing, drift, drifting, drive, embow, encompass, engulf, environ, errantry, excursion, excursus, exorbitation, extend, extension, extent, eye, eye-mindedness, eyesight, farsight, farsightedness, field of view, field of vision, flat race, flection, fleece, fleet, flex, flexure, flit, flood, flounce, flow, flowing, flue cleaner, fly, fly low, foot, forage, foray, forward, freeboot, gamut, geanticline, geosyncline, give no trouble, glance, glide, gliding, glissade, go, go easily, go fast, go like clockwork, go out, go over, grab bag, graze, gut, hairpin, hairpin turn, handicap, handicap race, harness race, highball, hold, home on, hook, horizon, horse race, hump, hunch, hurdle race, ice-skate, identify, impel, incurvate, incurve, indirection, inflect, inflection, interest lottery, inundate, keen sight, ken, keno, kiss, landscape, lie, lookout, loop, loot, lottery, lotto, make knots, map, maraud, march, meander, measure, move, night vision, nip, number lottery, numbers pool, oar, obliquity, orbit, outlook, outstrip the wind, overbrim, overflow, overpass, overrun, overwhelm, oxbow, paddle, panorama, parade, pass, pass over, pass through, patrol, pedal, perambulate, perception, peregrinate, pererrate, pererration, peripheral field, peripheral vision, perspective, perspicacity, perspicuity, photopia, pick up, pillage, pinpoint, plate race, plunder, ply, pole, pour it on, pour out, pour over, power of sight, present no difficulties, prey on, propel, prospect, purge, purse race, purview, push, quarter-horse race, quick sight, radius, raffle, raid, rambling, range, range over, ransack, ravage, raven, ravish, reach, reach out, receive, reconnoiter, recurve, reflect, reflection, reflex, register, reive, remove, retroflex, rifle, rip, riverscape, rod vision, roll, roller-skate, round, row, run, run over, run smoothly, sack, sag, sail, sailing, scale, scan, scape, scavenger, scene, scenery, scenic view, scope, scorch, scotopia, scour, scour the country, scout, scrape, scull, seascape, seeing, sense of sight, sheer, shift, shifting, shifting course, shifting path, shove, shunt, sideslip, sight, sightedness, sizzle, skate, skateboard, skating, skew, ski, skid, skiing, skim, skyscape, slant, sled, sledding, sleigh, slide, sliding, slip, slipping, slither, slithering, slop, slosh, span, spectrum, speed, spill, spill out, spill over, spoil, spoliate, spot, spread, stake, stake race, steeplechase, steering oar, storm along, straddle, straying, street sweeper, stretch, stretch out, stroke, submerge, surround, swag, swamp, sweep along, sweep away, sweep out, sweep up, sweeper, sweeping, sweepstake, sweepstakes, swerve, swerving, swing, swinging, swoop, tack, take in, tear, tear along, thrust, thrust out, thunder along, tidy up, toboggan, tobogganing, tombola, tontine, touch lightly, touch upon, townscape, track, transit, travel over, travel through, traverse, treadle, trigger, troll, trotting race, trundle, tune in, turn, turning, twilight vision, twist, unobstructed vision, vacuum, vacuum-clean, variation, vault, veer, view, vision, vista, visual acuity, visual field, visual sense, voyage, wandering, warp, waterscape, whelm, whisk, whitewing, whiz, wind, wing, wipe out, work well, yaw, zigzag, zing, zip, zoom