SWEEP | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

Old English swāpan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German schweifen ‘sweep in a curve’

clean (an area) by brushing away dirt or litter

clean area by brushing away dirt or litter

• I've swept the floor

move swiftly and smoothly

move swiftly

• a large black car swept past the open windows
• his cool grey eyes swept over her

search (an area) for something

search area for something

• the detective swept the room for hair and fingerprints

an act of sweeping something with a brush

act of sweeping something with brush

• I was giving the floor a quick sweep

a long, swift curving movement

long, swift curving movement

• a grandiose sweep of his hand

a procedure for inducing labour in a pregnant woman, in which a medical practitioner moves a finger around within the opening of the cervix to detach the amniotic membranes

procedure for inducing labour in pregnant woman

• I went in for a sweep at 41 weeks
• she asked if I wanted a membrane sweep to get labour going

a comprehensive search or survey of a place or area

comprehensive search or survey of place or area

• the police finished their sweep through the woods

a long, typically curved stretch of road, river, or land

long stretch of road

• we could see a wide sweep of country perhaps a hundred miles across

a sweepstake.

sweepstake

an instance of winning every event, award, or place in a contest

instance of winning every event in contest

• a World Series sweep

a long, heavy oar used to row a barge or other vessel

long, heavy oar used to row barge

• a big, heavy sweep oar

a sail of a windmill.

sail of windmill

a long pole mounted as a lever for raising buckets from a well.

long pole for raising buckets from well