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Definitions for Sweep

[1] to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.
[2] to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.
[3] to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave: The wind swept the snow into drifts.
[4] to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement: The painter swept a brush over his canvas.
[5] to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.
[6] to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often followed by of ): to sweep a sea of enemy ships.
[7] to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc.: sandstorms sweeping the plains.
[8] to search (an area or building) thoroughly: Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.
[9] to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.): His eyes swept the countryside.
[10] to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like: He swept his eyes over the countryside.
[11] to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.
[12] to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest): Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.
[13] to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests): The Yankees swept the three-game series.
[14] Music . to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing. to bring forth (music) thus.
[15] to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom: The new broom sweeps well.
[16] to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually followed by along, down, by, into, etc.).
[17] to move or pass in a swift but stately manner: Proudly, she swept from the room.
[18] to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, especially a wide curve or circuit: His glance swept around the room.
[19] to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.
[20] 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.
[21] 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.
[22] the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption: the sweep of the wind and the waves.
[23] an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.
[24] a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.
[25] reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about: the sweep of a road about a marsh.
[26] a continuous extent or stretch: a broad sweep of sand.
[27] a curving, especially widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.
[28] matter removed or gathered by sweeping.
[29] Also called well sweep. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.
[30] a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.
[31] an overwhelming victory in a contest.
[32] a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.
[33] Football . end run.
[34] one of the sails of a windmill.
[35] Agriculture . any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.
[36] Chiefly British . a person employed to clean by sweeping, especially a chimney sweeper.
[37] 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.
[38] Physics . an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.
[39] a sweepstakes.
[40] to clean or clear (a space, chimney, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
[41] (often foll by up) to remove or collect (dirt, rubbish, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
[42] to move in a smooth or continuous manner, esp quickly or forcibly cars swept along the road
[43] to move in a proud or dignified fashion she swept past
[44] to spread or pass rapidly across, through, or along (a region, area, etc) the news swept through the town
[45] (tr) to direct (the gaze, line of fire, etc) over; survey
[46] (tr; foll by away or off) to overwhelm emotionally she was swept away by his charm
[47] (tr) to brush or lightly touch (a surface, etc) the dress swept along the ground
[48] (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
[49] (intr) to extend gracefully or majestically, esp in a wide circle the plains sweep down to the sea
[50] to search (a body of water) for mines, etc, by dragging
[51] to search (a room, area, etc) electronically to detect spying devices
[52] (tr) to win overwhelmingly, esp in an election Labour swept the country
[53] cricket to play (a ball) with a sweep
[54] (tr) to propel (a boat) with sweeps
[55] 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
[56] sweep the board (in gambling) to win all the cards or money to win every event or prize in a contest
[57] the act or an instance of sweeping; removal by or as if by a brush or broom
[58] a swift or steady movement, esp in an arc with a sweep of his arms
[59] the distance, arc, etc, through which something, such as a pendulum, moves
[60] a wide expanse or scope the sweep of the plains
[61] any curving line or contour
[62] cards the winning of every trick in a hand of whist the taking, by pairing, of all exposed cards in cassino
[63] short for sweepstake
[64] 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
[65] a long oar used on an open boat Australian a person steering a surf boat with such an oar
[66] any of the sails of a windmill
[67] electronics a steady horizontal or circular movement of an electron beam across or around the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube
[68] 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
[69] a curving driveway
[70] mainly British See chimney sweep
[71] another name for swipe (def. 6)
[72] clean sweep an overwhelming victory or success a complete change; purge to make a clean sweep

Words related to Sweep

stretch, span, swing, clear, clean, tear, sail, pass, purview, ambit, extension, breadth, region, reach, orbit, length, radius, compass, latitude, scope

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

Origin of Sweep

2by shortening

Other words from Sweep

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

Word origin for Sweep

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

Synonyms for Sweep

span, stretch, ambit, breadth, compass, extension, latitude, length, orbit, purview, radius, reach, region, scope, vista