Swept

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /swɛpt/

Definitions

1. To have glided effortlessly over a surface while also removing items forcefully, as well as to have tidied up or cleared a space using a tool like a broom
2. To have moved with a swift motion across an area while also having removed or carried away items simultaneously, as well as having tidied or cleaned a space using a tool like a broom
3. Moved quickly and smoothly over a surface ; cleared away dirt or small objects by brushing ; tidied a place by removing dust or rubbish with a broom

Etymology: "Swept" is the past tense and past participle of "sweep," so its story is really the story of the verb. The root is Old English "swēpan," meaning to brush or move something along a surface, and it belonged to the same Germanic family that gave German "schweifen" (to roam, wander) and the Old English "swāpan," meaning to sweep or whirl. The idea of a long, continuous motion lies at the heart of the word, which is why a broom and a sudden gust of wind can both be described as sweeping. The sense "moved swiftly across" grows naturally from that broad, sweeping motion: a hand passing over a table, a searchlight crossing a sky, or a wave rolling over a shore all share the same arc. Over the centuries the verb picked up figurative uses as well, so that a disease, a fashion, or a political movement could sweep through a population or a country. Each of these senses keeps the core notion of a wide, unbroken path.

Synonyms: cleaned, cleared, removed, gathered, scoured

Antonyms: dirtied, spoiled, contaminated, soiled, muddied