verb / noun
sweep
To clear with a broad movement, or to move across an area in a wide motion.
She sweeps the crumbs off the counter with her hand.
Etymology
The inherited verb concerns clearing by a broad movement. It extends from moving a broom to any similarly wide motion across an area.
More examples
- He sweeps the kitchen floor after dinner.
- The flashlight beam sweeps across the dark yard.
- She clears the papers away with one sweep of her arm.
Forms
sweep · sweeps · swept · sweeping
sweeper noun — A person or machine that sweeps.