SWEEP

I. verb (swept; ~ing) Etymology: Middle English swepen; akin to Old English swāpan to ~, Old High German sweifen to wander Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush , to destroy completely ; wipe out , to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action , to remove from sight or consideration , to drive or carry along with irresistible force , 2. to clean with or as if with a broom or brush, to clear by repeated and forcible action, to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly , to win an overwhelming victory in or on , to win all the games or contests of , to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement, to trace or describe the locus or extent of (as a line, circle, or angle), to cover the entire range of , intransitive verb 1. to clean a surface with or as if with a broom, to move swiftly, forcefully, or devastatingly , to go with stately or ~ing movements , to move or extend in a wide curve or range, II. noun Date: 1548 something that ~s or works with a ~ing motion: as, a long pole or timber pivoted on a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well, a triangular cultivator blade that cuts off weeds under the soil surface, a windmill sail, 2. an instance of ~ing, the removal from the table in one play in casino of all the cards by pairing or combining, an overwhelming victory, a winning of all the contests or prizes in a competition, a wide-ranging search of an area (as by police), 3. a movement of great range and force, a curving or circular course or line, the compass of a ~ing movement ; scope , a broad unbroken area or extent , an end run in football in which one or more linemen pull back and run interference for the ballcarrier, chimney ~ , ~stakes , obliquity with respect to a reference line , a television ratings period during which surveys are taken to determine advertising rates, see: range