sweep

n. 1. The act of sweeping. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line. [ 1913 Webster ]

The road which makes a small sweep. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sweep net, a net for drawing over a large compass. --
Sweep of the tiller (Naut.), a circular frame on which the tiller traverses. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To clean rooms, yards, etc., or to clear away dust, dirt, litter, etc., with a broom, brush, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The crop of hay got in a meadow. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, sweeps, or cleans by sweeping; a sweep; as, a carpet sweeper. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is oxygen which is the great sweeper of the economy. Huxley. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. Things collected by sweeping; rubbish; as, the sweepings of a street. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bow-saw. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A winning of all the stakes or prizes. Heylin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A complete removal or carrying away; a clean sweep. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hacket. [ 1913 Webster ]