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sweeping
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6 dictionary results for: Sweeping
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sweep·ing       [swee-ping] Pronunciation Key
–adjective
1.of wide range or scope.
2.moving or passing about over a wide area: a sweeping glance.
3.moving, driving, or passing steadily and forcibly on.
4.(of the outcome of a contest) decisive; overwhelming; complete: a sweeping victory.
–noun
5.the act of a person or thing that sweeps.
6.sweepings, matter swept out or up, as dust, refuse, etc.
[Origin: 1470–80; sweep1 + -ing2, -ing1]

—Related forms
sweep·ing·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. extensive, broad, comprehensive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sweep1       [sweep] Pronunciation Key, verb, swept, sweep·ing, noun
–verb (used with object)
1.to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.
2.to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.
3.to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave: The wind swept the snow into drifts.
4.to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement: The painter swept a brush over his canvas.
5.to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.
6.to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often fol. by of): to sweep a sea of enemy ships.
7.to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc.: sandstorms sweeping the plains.
8.to search (an area or building) thoroughly: Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.
9.to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.): His eyes swept the countryside.
10.to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like: He swept his eyes over the countryside.
11.to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.
12.to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest): Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.
13.to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests): The Yankees swept the three-game series.
14.Music.
a.to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing.
b.to bring forth (music) thus.
–verb (used without object)
15.to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom: The new broom sweeps well.
16.to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually fol. by along, down, by, into, etc.).
17.to move or pass in a swift but stately manner: Proudly, she swept from the room.
18.to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, esp. a wide curve or circuit: His glance swept around the room.
19.to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.
20.Aeronautics. (of an airfoil or its leading or trailing edge) to project from the fuselage at an angle rearward or forward of a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
–noun
21.the act of sweeping, esp. a moving, removing, clearing, etc., by or as if by the use of a broom: to give the house a good sweep.
22.the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption: the sweep of the wind and the waves.
23.an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.
24.a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.
25.reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about: the sweep of a road about a marsh.
26.a continuous extent or stretch: a broad sweep of sand.
27.a curving, esp. widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.
28.matter removed or gathered by sweeping.
29.Also called well sweep. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.
30.a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.
31.an overwhelming victory in a contest.
32.a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.
33.Football. end run.
34.one of the sails of a windmill.
35.Agriculture. any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.
36.Chiefly British. a person employed to clean by sweeping, esp. a chimney sweeper.
37.Cards.
a.Whist. the winning of all the tricks in a hand. Compare slam2 (def. 1).
b.Casino. a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.
38.Physics. an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME swepen (v.); cf. OE geswépa sweepings, deriv. of swāpan to sweep (> obs. E swope); c. G schweifen]

—Related forms
sweep·a·ble, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sweep       (swēp)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   swept (swěpt), sweep·ing, sweeps

v.   tr.
  1. To clean or clear, as of dirt, with or as if with a broom or brush: sweep a chimney.
  2. To clear away with or as if with a broom or brush: swept snow from the steps.
  3. To clear (a path or space) with or as if with a broom.
    1. To search thoroughly: The counselors swept the dormitory during the fire drill.
    2. Electronics To search for and remove (eavesdropping devices) from a place: swept the room for bugs.
    3. To win all games in (a series) or stages of (a contest): swept the World Series.
    4. To win overwhelmingly in: The opposition party swept the election.
  5. To touch or brush lightly, as with a trailing garment: willow branches sweeping the ground.
  6. To pass over or through a surface or medium with a continuous movement: He swept the sponge over the tile. The conductor swept her baton through the air.
  7. To clear, drive, or convey with relentless force: The flood waters swept away everything in their path.
  8. To wipe out at a single stroke. Often used with away: The incident in effect swept away all her dreams.
  9. To remove or carry off with a swift brushing motion: swept the cards off the table; swept the child into his arms.
  10. To move across or through swiftly or with great intensity: News of the lunar landing swept the country.
  11. To pass quickly across, as when searching: His gaze swept the horizon.
  12. To drag the bottom of (a body of water).
    1. To win all games in (a series) or stages of (a contest): swept the World Series.
    2. To win overwhelmingly in: The opposition party swept the election.

v.   intr.
  1. To clean or clear a surface with or as if with a broom or brush.
  2. Electronics To search for and remove eavesdropping devices.
  3. To move swiftly with strong, steady force: The wind swept over the plain.
  4. To move swiftly in a lofty manner, as if in a trailing robe: She swept by in silence.
  5. To trail, as a long garment.
  6. To extend gracefully, especially in a long curve: The hills sweep down to the sea.
  7. To extend in a wide range: Searchlights swept across the sky.

n.  
  1. A clearing out or removal with or as if with a broom or brush.
  2. Electronics The act or an instance of searching for and removing eavesdropping devices, as in a room.
    1. A wide curving motion: a sweep of the arm.
    2. The range or scope encompassed by sweeping: the sweep of a lantern beam. See Synonyms at range.
    3. The winning of all stages of a game or contest.
    4. An overwhelming victory or success.
    5. sweeps The period each fall, winter, and spring when television ratings are accrued and studied and advertising rates are reset.
    6. The national survey of local stations that is conducted to determine these ratings.
  4. A broad reach or extent: a sweep of green lawn.
  5. A curve or contour: the sweep of her hair.
  6. Football An end run in which one or more linemen leave the line of scrimmage and block in advance of the ball carrier.
  7. One who sweeps, especially a chimney sweep.
  8. Sweepings. Often used in the plural.
    1. The winning of all stages of a game or contest.
    2. An overwhelming victory or success.
    3. sweeps The period each fall, winter, and spring when television ratings are accrued and studied and advertising rates are reset.
    4. The national survey of local stations that is conducted to determine these ratings.
  10. Nautical A long oar used to propel a boat.
  11. A long pole attached to a pivot and used to raise or lower a bucket in a well.
  12. sweeps (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Informal Sweepstakes.
    1. sweeps The period each fall, winter, and spring when television ratings are accrued and studied and advertising rates are reset.
    2. The national survey of local stations that is conducted to determine these ratings.
  14. Electronics The steady motion of an electron beam across a cathode-ray tube.


[Middle English swepen, perhaps from swepe, past tense of swopen, to sweep along; see swoop.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sweep·ing       (swē'pĭng)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.  
  1. Having wide-ranging influence or effect: sweeping changes.
  2. Moving in or as if in a wide curve: a sweeping gesture; a sweeping glance.
  3. Indiscriminate; wholesale: sweeping generalizations.
  4. Overwhelming; complete: a sweeping victory.

n.  
  1. The action of one that sweeps.
  2. sweepings Things swept up; refuse.

sweep'ing·ly adv.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
sweeping

adjective
1. taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination; "a sweeping glance"; "a wide-sweeping view of the river" 
2. ignoring distinctions; "sweeping generalizations"; "wholesale destruction" 

noun
1. the act of cleaning with a broom 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sweeping

Sweep"ing\, a. Cleaning off surfaces, or cleaning away dust, dirt, or litter, as a broom does; moving with swiftness and force; carrying everything before it; including in its scope many persons or things; as, a sweeping flood; a sweeping majority; a sweeping accusation. -- Sweep"ing*ly, adv. -Sweep"ing*ness, n.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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