'Sweep' definitions:

Definition of 'sweep'

From: WordNet
noun
A wide scope; "the sweep of the plains" [syn: sweep, expanse]
noun
Someone who cleans soot from chimneys [syn: chimneysweeper, chimneysweep, sweep]
noun
Winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge [syn: slam, sweep]
noun
A long oar used in an open boat [syn: sweep, sweep oar]
noun
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running around the end of the line [syn: end run, sweep]
noun
A movement in an arc; "a sweep of his arm"
verb
Sweep across or over; "Her long skirt brushed the floor"; "A gasp swept cross the audience" [syn: brush, sweep]
verb
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]
verb
Sweep with a broom or as if with a broom; "Sweep the crumbs off the table"; "Sweep under the bed" [syn: sweep, broom]
verb
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]
verb
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]
verb
Clean by sweeping; "Please sweep the floor"
verb
Win an overwhelming victory in or on; "Her new show dog swept all championships"
verb
Cover the entire range of
verb
Make a big sweeping gesture or movement [syn: swing, sweep, swing out]

Definition of 'Sweep'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • I will sweep it with the besom of destruction. --Isa. xiv. 23. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. --Isa. xxviii. 17. [1913 Webster]
  • I have already swept the stakes. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along. [1913 Webster]
  • Their long descending train, With rubies edged and sapphires, swept the plain. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion. [1913 Webster]
  • And like a peacock sweep along his tail. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. To strike with a long stroke. [1913 Webster]
  • Wake into voice each silent string, And sweep the sounding lyre. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. (Naut.) To draw or drag something over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation; as, to sweep the heavens with a telescope. [1913 Webster]
  • To sweep a mold or To sweep up a mold (Founding), to form the sand into a mold by a templet, instead of compressing it around the pattern. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Sweep'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Sweep'

From: GCIDE
  • Sweep \Sweep\, n.
  • 1. The act of sweeping. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line. [1913 Webster]
  • The road which makes a small sweep. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. [1913 Webster]
  • Sweep net, a net for drawing over a large compass.
  • Sweep of the tiller (Naut.), a circular frame on which the tiller traverses. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'sweep'

From: GCIDE
  • Sweep \Sweep\, n.
  • 1. The act of sweeping. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line. [1913 Webster]
  • The road which makes a small sweep. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. [1913 Webster]
  • Sweep net, a net for drawing over a large compass.
  • Sweep of the tiller (Naut.), a circular frame on which the tiller traverses. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'sweep'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Sweep'