SWEEP
What does "SWEEP" mean?
To clean a surface by brushing away dust or debris with a broom.
Meanings
- To clear dust or litter from a floor or surface using a broom or brush. She swept the kitchen before the guests arrived.
- To move swiftly and smoothly over or across an area. The searchlight swept across the dark harbour.
- To win every game, contest, or seat in a series. The home team swept the series in four straight games. informal
- A long, smooth, curving movement or extent. From the cliff you could see the whole sweep of the bay.
- A person whose trade is cleaning soot from chimneys. A boy sweep would climb inside the flue itself.
Word origin
From Middle English 'swepen', related to Old English 'swapan' (to sweep, drive) and the same Germanic root that gives 'swoop'.
Remember it
SWEEP keeps the long 'ee' clean, just like the floor it leaves behind.
A little poem
Bristles drag the dust
into one small grey island-
then the dustpan's tide.
haiku
Wordplay
- The new janitor was promoted on day one - he really swept the floor with the competition.
What it teaches
Even a clean win starts with the humble, repeated motion of clearing what's in the way.
Quick facts
What does SWEEP mean?
To clean a surface by brushing away dust or debris with a broom.
Is SWEEP a valid word?
Yes — SWEEP is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SWEEP?
SWEEP has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does SWEEP come from?
From Middle English 'swepen', related to Old English 'swapan' (to sweep, drive) and the same Germanic root that gives 'swoop'.
What can SWEEP teach us?
Even a clean win starts with the humble, repeated motion of clearing what's in the way.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.