sweep
noun
- 1
A single action of sweeping.
“Give the front steps a quick sweep to get rid of those fallen leaves.”
- 2
The person who steers a dragon boat.
- 3
A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew.
- 4
A chimney sweep.
- 5
A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices).
- 6
A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat.
“Bradman attempted a sweep, but in fact top edged the ball to the wicket keeper”
- 7
A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins.
“Jim will win fifty dollars in the office sweep if Japan wins the World Cup.”
- 8
A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland.
- 9
A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs.
- 10
Violent and general destruction.
“the sweep of an epidemic disease”
- 11
A movable templet for making moulds, in loam moulding.
- 12
In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table.
- 13
The compass of any turning body or of any motion.
“the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye”
- 14
Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line.
- 15
A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them.
- 16
A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side.
“I am primarily a sweep rower.”
- 17
(refining) The almond furnace.
- 18
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.
- 19
Any of the blades of a windmill.
- 20
(in the plural) The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc.
- 21
Any of several sea chub in the kyphosid subfamily Scorpidinae.
- 22
An expanse or a swath, a strip of land.
verb
- 1
To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
“to sweep a floor, the street, or a chimney”
- 2
To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
“The offended countess swept out of the ballroom.”
- 3
To search (a place) methodically.
- 4
To travel quickly.
- 5
To play a sweep shot.
- 6
To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
- 7
To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
- 8
To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
- 9
To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
- 10
To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
“She swept the peelings off the table onto the floor.”
- 11
To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
“Their long descending train, / With rubies edg'd and sapphires, swept the plain.”
- 12
To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
- 13
To strike with a long stroke.
- 14
To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
- 15
To draw or drag something over.
“to sweep the bottom of a river with a net”
- 16
To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
“to sweep the heavens with a telescope”
- 17
(including) to vacuum a carpet or rug
Translate “sweep” to another language
Click any language to open the translator with this word already filled in.