单词 | sweep |
释义 | sweep (swiːp ) Word forms: sweeps , sweeping , swept 1. verb B2 If you sweep an area of floor or ground, you push dirt or rubbish off it using a brush with a long handle. The owner of the store was sweeping his floor when I walked in. [VERB noun] She was in the kitchen sweeping crumbs into a dust pan. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] Norma picked up the broom and began sweeping. [VERB] Synonyms: brush, clean, wipe, vacuum 2. verb B2 If you sweep things off something, you push them off with a quick smooth movement of your arm. I swept rainwater off the flat top of a gravestone. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] With a gesture of frustration, she swept the cards from the table. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] 'Thanks, friend,' he said, while sweeping the money into his pocket. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] Synonyms: clear, remove, brush, clean 3. verb If someone with long hair sweeps their hair into a particular style, they put it into that style. ...stylish ways of sweeping your hair off your face. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] Her long, fine hair was swept back in a ponytail. [be VERB-ed] 4. verb If your arm or hand sweeps in a particular direction, or if you sweep it there, it moves quickly and smoothly in that direction. His arm swept around the room. [VERB preposition/adverb] Daniels swept his arm over his friend's shoulder. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] ...the long sweeping arm movements of a violinist. [VERB-ing] Sweep is also a noun. With one sweep of her hand she threw back the sheets. 5. verb B2 If wind, a stormy sea, or another strong force sweeps someone or something along, it moves them quickly along. ...landslides that buried homes and swept cars into the sea. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] Suddenly, she was swept along by the crowd. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] Synonyms: carry, pull, drag, drive 6. verb If you are swept somewhere, you are taken there very quickly. The visitors were swept past various monuments. [be VERB-ed preposition/adverb] A limousine swept her along the busy freeway to the airport. [VERB noun preposition/adverb] 7. verb If something sweeps from one place to another, it moves there extremely quickly. [written] An icy wind swept through the streets. [VERB preposition/adverb] The car swept past the gate house. [VERB preposition/adverb] Synonyms: sail, pass, fly, tear 8. verb If events, ideas, or beliefs sweep through a place, they spread quickly through it. A flu epidemic is sweeping through Moscow. [V + through/across] ...the wave of patriotism sweeping the country. [VERB noun] Synonyms: spread through, flood, overwhelm, engulf 9. verb If someone sweeps into a place, they walk into it in a proud, confident way, often when they are angry. [written] She swept into the conference room. [VERB preposition/adverb] Scarlet with rage, she swept past her employer and stormed up the stairs. [VERB preposition/adverb] The Chief turned and swept out. [VERB preposition/adverb] Synonyms: swagger, sail, breeze, stride 10. verb If a person or thing sweeps something away or aside, they remove it quickly and completely. The commission's conclusions sweep away a decade of denials and cover-ups. [VERB noun with adverb] In times of war, governments often sweep human rights aside. [VERB noun with adverb] He swept the names from his mind. [VERB noun preposition] Synonyms: clear, remove 11. verb If lights or someone's eyes sweep an area, they move across the area from side to side. [mainly written] Helicopters with searchlights swept the park which was sealed off. [VERB noun] Her gaze sweeps rapidly around the room. [VERB preposition/adverb] Synonyms: scan, run over, skim, eye 12. verb If land or water sweeps somewhere, it stretches out in a long, wide, curved shape. The land sweeps away from long areas of greenery. [VERB preposition/adverb] ...the arc of countries that sweeps down from South Korea to Indonesia. [VERB preposition/adverb] 13. countable noun [with supplement] A sweep of land or water forms a long, wide, curved shape. The ground fell away in a broad sweep down to the river. ...the great sweep of the bay. Synonyms: arc, bend, curve 14. verb If a person or group sweeps an election or sweeps to victory, they win the election easily. A man who's promised to make radical changes to benefit the poor has swept the election. [VERB noun] In both republics, centre-right parties swept to power. [VERB + to] ...voters nostalgic for the free-spending policies of the 1980s swept his Socialists back to power. [VERB noun to noun] ...a sweeping victory. [VERB-ing] Synonyms: sail 15. countable noun [usually singular] If someone makes a sweep of a place, they search it, usually because they are looking for people who are hiding or for an illegal activity. Two of the soldiers swiftly began making a sweep of the premises. There may be periodic police 'sweeps' of crime in the area. Synonyms: search, check, examination, look 16. singular noun [with supplement] If you refer to the sweep of something, you are indicating that it includes a large number of different events, qualities, or opinions. The charter brought accountability to the whole sweep of public services. 17. See also sweeping, chimney sweep 18. to sweep something under the carpet phrase If someone sweeps something bad or wrong under the carpet, or if they sweep it under the rug, they try to prevent people from hearing about it. For a long time this problem has been swept under the carpet. 19. a clean sweep phrase If you make a clean sweep of something such as a series of games or tournaments, you win them all. ...the first club to make a clean sweep of all three trophies. 20. to sweep someone off their feet phrase [VERB inflects] If someone sweeps you off your feet, you fall in love with them very quickly because you find them very attractive or exciting. I met a poor artist who completely swept me off my feet. 21. to sweep the board phrase If someone sweeps the board in a competition or election, they win nearly everything that it is possible to win. Spain swept the board in boys' team competitions. Phrasal verbs: sweep up phrasal verb B2 If you sweep up rubbish or dirt, you push it together with a brush and then remove it. Get a broom and sweep up that glass, will you? [VERB PARTICLE noun] He started working for a gallery sweeping up and making the tea. [VERB PARTICLE] Idioms: sweep someone off their feet to be so attractive, romantic, and exciting that someone falls in love with you almost as soon as they meet you He is a good fifteen years older than Felicity. He swept her off her feet, though. And I suppose it seemed very romantic. to be extremely attractive or appealing to someone Ten British chefs plan to cook a feast they hope will sweep the French off their feet. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers sweep something under the carpet [mainly British] to try to hide and forget about something because it makes you embarrassed or ashamed. The usual American expression is sweep something under the rug. People often assume if you sweep something under the carpet the problem will go away, but that is not the case. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers sweep the board [British] to win all the prizes or seats in a competition or election The government swept the board in yesterday's first contested National Assembly elections. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers sweep something under the rug [US] to try to forget about something and hide it because you find it embarrassing or shameful By sweeping the wrongdoing under the rug, executives seek to avoid being accused of mismanagement by directors and shareholders. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers make a clean sweep if someone who has just taken up a position of authority in an organization makes a clean sweep, they make a lot of changes, for example getting rid of a large number of employees, in order to make the organization more efficient or profitable The new CEO made a clean sweep of longtime employees, firing the managers, one by one. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers make a clean sweep of something to win something or a series of things very easily The USA has made a clean sweep of all 5 titles in the Women's Gymnastics event. Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Collocations: historical sweep The game doesn't break new ground, but it looks great and has a rich, historical sweep. Times, Sunday Times The book announces itself rather vaingloriously as a 'groundbreaking anthology' which gathers 'food writing of literary distinction and historical sweep'. The Times Literary Supplement Her works have been praised for their historical sweep, but have also been called oversimplified depictions of moments in history that were in fact multi-faceted and complicated. Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0 They didn't understand that you had to sweep the floor sometimes at work or even travel to work. Times, Sunday Times It's a very small industry and you have to be prepared to muck in and sweep the floor. Times, Sunday Times Empty bins, clean the oven, sweep the floor and wipe worktops to keep the kitchen clean and tidy and a place in which you will enjoy preparing food. Times, Sunday Times I stock the shelves, sweep the floor and make sure everything looks tidy. The Sun Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0 When the lightest wind sweeps through the reedbed they sway and murmur. Times, Sunday Times The rain swirls and the wind sweeps through, disturbing bails and scattering litter. Times, Sunday Times This high-altitude river of wind sweeps around the globe in a great circle and marks a battlefront between cold polar air and warm southerly air. Times, Sunday Times When the wind sweeps through the wood, both the flowers and the shiny green leaves tremble. Times, Sunday Times Unstable conditions in the atmosphere can lead air currents to rise, while fast, low-density wind sweeps along the top. Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0 Translations: Chinese: 扫 Japanese: 掃く |
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