From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sweep \Sweep\, v. i.
1. To clean rooms, yards, etc., or to clear away dust, dirt,
litter, etc., with a broom, brush, or the like.
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2. To brush swiftly over the surface of anything; to pass
with switness and force, as if brushing the surface of
anything; to move in a stately manner; as, the wind sweeps
across the plain; a woman sweeps through a drawing-room.
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3. To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through
with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sweep \Sweep\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swept; p. pr. & vb. n.
Sweeping.] [OE. swepen; akin to AS. sw[=a]pan. See Swoop,
v. i.]
1. To pass a broom across (a surface) so as to remove loose
dirt, dust, etc.; to brush, or rub over, with a broom for
the purpose of cleaning; as, to sweep a floor, the street,
or a chimney. Used also figuratively.
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I will sweep it with the besom of destruction.
--Isa. xiv.
23.
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2. To drive or carry along or off with a broom or a brush, or
as if with a broom; to remove by, or as if by, brushing;
as, to sweep dirt from a floor; the wind sweeps the snow
from the hills; a freshet sweeps away a dam, timber, or
rubbish; a pestilence sweeps off multitudes.
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The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. --Isa.
xxviii. 17.
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I have already swept the stakes. --Dryden.
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3. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
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Their long descending train,
With rubies edged and sapphires, swept the plain.
--Dryden.
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4. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence,
to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
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And like a peacock sweep along his tail. --Shak.
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5. To strike with a long stroke.
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Wake into voice each silent string,
And sweep the sounding lyre. --Pope.
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6. (Naut.) To draw or drag something over; as, to sweep the
bottom of a river with a net.
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7. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an
instrument of observation; as, to sweep the heavens with a
telescope.
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To sweep a mold or To sweep up a mold (Founding), to form
the sand into a mold by a templet, instead of compressing
it around the pattern.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sweep \Sweep\, n.
1. The act of sweeping.
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2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep.
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3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the
sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye.
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4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood
carried away everything within its sweep.
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5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an
epidemic disease.
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6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the
sweep of a compass.
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7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the
like, away from a rectlinear line.
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The road which makes a small sweep. --Sir W.
Scott.
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8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney
sweeper.
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9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam
molding.
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10. (Naut.)
(a) The mold of a ship when she begins to curve in at the
rungheads; any part of a ship shaped in a segment of
a circle.
(b) A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel
them and partly to steer them.
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11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [Obs.]
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12. A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal
fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower
a bucket in a well for drawing water. [Variously written
swape, sweep, swepe, and swipe.]
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13. (Card Playing) In the game of casino, a pairing or
combining of all the cards on the board, and so removing
them all; in whist, the winning of all the tricks
(thirteen) in a hand; a slam.
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14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are
worked, containing filings, etc.
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Sweep net, a net for drawing over a large compass.
Sweep of the tiller (Naut.), a circular frame on which the
tiller traverses.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
sweep
n 1: a wide scope; "the sweep of the plains" [syn: sweep,
expanse]
2: someone who cleans soot from chimneys [syn: chimneysweeper,
chimneysweep, sweep]
3: winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge [syn:
slam, sweep]
4: a long oar used in an open boat [syn: sweep, sweep oar]
5: (American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running
around the end of the line [syn: end run, sweep]
6: a movement in an arc; "a sweep of his arm"
v 1: sweep across or over; "Her long skirt brushed the floor";
"A gasp swept cross the audience" [syn: brush, sweep]
2: move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions; "The diva
swept into the room"; "Shreds of paper sailed through the
air"; "The searchlights swept across the sky" [syn: sweep,
sail]
3: sweep with a broom or as if with a broom; "Sweep the crumbs
off the table"; "Sweep under the bed" [syn: sweep, broom]
4: force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of
action; "They were swept up by the events"; "don't drag me
into this business" [syn: embroil, tangle, sweep,
sweep up, drag, drag in]
5: to cover or extend over an area or time period; "Rivers
traverse the valley floor", "The parking lot spans 3 acres";
"The novel spans three centuries" [syn: cross, traverse,
span, sweep]
6: clean by sweeping; "Please sweep the floor"
7: win an overwhelming victory in or on; "Her new show dog swept
all championships"
8: cover the entire range of
9: make a big sweeping gesture or movement [syn: swing,
sweep, swing out]