■ verb
1》 clean or dry by rubbing with a cloth or one's hand.
↘remove (dirt or moisture) in this way.
2》 spread (liquid) over a surface by rubbing.
3》 (often ~ something out ) remove or eliminate completely.
↘erase (data) from a magnetic medium.
4》 pass (a s~ card) over an electronic reader.
5》 Austral./NZ informal reject or dismiss.
■ noun
1》 an act of wiping.
2》 an absorbent disposable cleaning cloth.
3》 a cinematographic effect in which an existing picture seems to be ~d out by a new one.
Phrases
~ someone's eye Brit. informal, dated get the better of someone.
~ the floor with informal inflict a humiliating defeat on.
~ the slate clean make a fresh start.
Phrasal verbs
~ something off subtract an amount from a value or debt.
~ out informal be capsized by a wave while surfing.
↘ N. Amer. fall over or off a vehicle.
~ someone out
1》 kill a large number of people.
2》 ruin someone financially.
3》 ( be ~d out ) informal be exhausted or intoxicated.
Derivatives
~able adjective
Origin
OE wīpian , of Gmc origin; related to whip .