SWEEP, v.t. pret. and pp. swept.

1. The act of sweeping.
2. The compass of a stroke; as, a long sweep.
3. The compass of any turning body or motion; as, the sweep of a door.
4. The compass of any thing flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away every thing within its sweep.
5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. – Graunt.
6. Direction of any motion not rectilinear; as, the sweep a compass.
7. The mold of a ship when she begins to compass in, at the rung heads; also, any part of a ship shaped by the segment of a circle; as, a floor-sweep; a back-sweep, &c.
8. Among refiners of metals, the almond-furnace.
9. Among stamen, a large oar, used to assist the rudder in turning a ship in a calm, or to increase her velocity in a chase, &c.
10. The pole or piece of timber moved on a fulcrum or post, used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water; written by Bailey, swipe; and in Yorkshire, Eng., swape. Sweep of the tiller, a circular frame on which the tiller traverses in large ships.

1. To pass with swiftness and violence, as something broad or brushing the surface of any thing; a sweeping rain; a sweeping flood. A fowl that flies near the surface of land or water, is said to sweep along near the surface.
2. To pass over or brush along with celerity and force; as, the wind sweeps along the plain.
3. To pass with pomp; as, a person sweeps along with a trail. She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies. – Shak.
4. To move with a long reach; as, a sweeping stroke. – Dryden.

1. To brush or rub over with a brush, broom or besom, for removing loose dirt; to clean by brushing; as, to sweep a chimney or a floor. When we say, to sweep a room, we mean to sweep the floor of the room; and to sweep the house, is to sweep the floors of the house.
2. To carry with a long swinging or dragging motion; to carry with pomp. And likes peacock, sweep along his tail. – Shak.
3. To drive or carry along or off by a long brushing stroke or force, or by flowing on the earth. Thus the wind sweep the snow from the tops of the hills; a river sweeps away a dam, timber or rubbish; a flood sweeps away a bridge or house. Hence,
4. To drive, destroy, or carry off many at a stroke, or with celerity and violence; as, a pestilence sweeps off multitude in a few days. The conflagration swept away whole street of houses. l have already swept the stakes. – Dryden.
5. To rub over. Their long descending train, / With rubies edg'd and sapphires, swept the plain. – Dryden.
6. To strike with a long stroke. Wake into voice each silent string, / And sweep the sounding lyre. – Pope.
7. To draw or drag over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net, or with the bight of a rope, to hook an anchor. – Mar. Dict.

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.
   
   

   I will sweep it with the besom of destruction. Isa. xiv. 23.

2. To clean rooms, yards, etc., or to clear away dust, dirt, litter, etc., with a broom, brush, or the like.
3. The act of sweeping.
4. 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.
   
   

   The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. Isa. xxviii. 17.

   I have already swept the stakes. Dryden.

5. 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.
6. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep.
7. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
   
   

   Their long descending train,
   With rubies edged and sapphires, swept the plain. Dryden.

8. To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space.
9. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye.
10. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
    
    

    And like a peacock sweep along his tail. Shak.

11. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep.
12. To strike with a long stroke.
    
    

    Wake into voice each silent string,
    And sweep the sounding lyre. Pope.

13. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease.
14. To draw or drag something over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net.
15. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass.
16. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation; as, to sweep the heavens with a telescope.
    
    

    To sweep, or sweep up, a mold (Founding), to form the sand into a mold by a templet, instead of compressing it around the pattern.

17. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line.
    
    

    The road which makes a small sweep. Sir W. Scott.

18. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper.
19. A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding.
20. 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)
21. The almond furnace.
    
    
    [Obs.]
22. 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.]
23. 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.
24. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc.
    
    

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