sweep
pronunciation
How to pronounce sweep in British English:
UK [swiːp]
How to pronounce sweep in American English:
US [swiːp]
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- Noun:
- a wide scope
- someone who cleans soot from chimneys
- winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge
- a long oar used in an open boat
- (American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running around the end of the line
- a movement in an arc
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- Verb:
- sweep across or over
- move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions
- sweep with a broom or as if with a broom
- force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action
- to cover or extend over an area or time period
- clean by sweeping
- win an overwhelming victory in or on
- cover the entire range of
- make a big sweeping gesture or movement
Word Origin
- sweep
- sweep: [13] The Old English word for ‘sweep’ was swāpan, which evolved into Middle English swope. Modern English sweep, which began to emerge in the 13th century, probably came from the old past tense swepe, a descendant of Old English swēop. Swāpan itself came from a prehistoric Germanic base *swei- ‘swing, bend’, which also produced German schweifen ‘wander’ and English swift. Swipe [19] probably originated as a dialectal variant of sweep.=> swift, swipe
- sweep (v.)
- early 14c., "make clean by sweeping with a broom;" mid-14c., "perform the act of sweeping," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a past tense form of Middle English swope "sweep," from Old English swapan "to sweep" (transitive & intransitive); see swoop (v.), or perhaps from a Scandinavian source. Related: Swept; sweeping. From late 14c. as "hasten, rush, move swiftly and strongly;" also "collect by sweeping." From c. 1400 in transitive sense "drive quickly, impel, move or carry forward by force;" mid-15c. as "clear (something) away." Meaning "win all the events" is 1960, American English. Sense of "pass systematically over in search of something" is from 1966. To sweep (someone) off (his or her) feet "affect with infatuation" is from 1913.
- sweep (n.)
- mid-13c., "stroke, force," from sweep (v.). Meaning "act of sweeping" is from 1550s. From 1670s as "range, extent of a continued motion." In reference to police or military actions, it is attested from 1837. Sense of "a winning of all the tricks in a card game" is from 1814 (see sweepstakes); extended to other sports by 1960. Meaning "rapid survey or inspection" is from 1966. As a shortened form of chimney-sweeper, first attested 1796.