sweaty /swe ti/ (sweatier , sweatiest )
1 ADJ If parts of your body or your clothes are sweaty , they are soaked or covered with sweat. □ …sweaty hands. □ She was hot and sweaty.
2 ADJ A sweaty place or activity makes you sweat because it is hot or tiring. □ …a sweaty nightclub.
swede /swiː d/ (swedes ) N‑VAR A swede is a round yellow root vegetable with a brown or purple skin. [BRIT ] in AM, use rutabaga
Swede /swiː d/ (Swedes ) N‑COUNT A Swede is a person who comes from Sweden.
Swe|dish /swiː d I ʃ/
1 ADJ Swedish means belonging or relating to Sweden, or to its people, language, or culture.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Swedish is the language spoken in Sweden.
sweep ◆◇◇ /swiː p/ (sweeps , sweeping , swept )
1 VERB If you sweep an area of floor or ground, you push dirt or rubbish off it using a brush with a long handle. □ [V n] The owner of the store was sweeping his floor when I walked in. □ [V n prep/adv] She was in the kitchen sweeping crumbs into a dust pan. □ [V ] Norma picked up the broom and began sweeping.
2 VERB If you sweep things off something, you push them off with a quick smooth movement of your arm. □ [V n prep/adv] With a gesture of frustration, she swept the cards from the table. □ [V n prep/adv] 'Thanks friend,' he said, while sweeping the money into his pocket.
3 VERB If someone with long hair sweeps their hair into a particular style, they put it into that style. □ [V n prep/adv] …stylish ways of sweeping your hair off your face. □ [be V -ed] Her long, fine hair was swept back in a ponytail.
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. □ [V prep/adv] His arm swept around the room. □ [V n prep/adv] Daniels swept his arm over his friend's shoulder. □ [V -ing] …the long sweeping arm movements of a violinist. ● N‑COUNT Sweep is also a noun. □ With one sweep of her hand she threw back the sheets.
5 VERB If wind, a stormy sea, or another strong force sweeps someone or something along, it moves them quickly along. □ [V n prep/adv] …landslides that buried homes and swept cars into the sea. □ [V n prep/adv] Suddenly, she was swept along by the crowd.
6 VERB If you are swept somewhere, you are taken there very quickly. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] The visitors were swept past various monuments. □ [V n prep/adv] A limousine swept her along the busy freeway to the airport.
7 VERB If something sweeps from one place to another, it moves there extremely quickly. [WRITTEN ] □ [V prep/adv] An icy wind swept through the streets. □ [V prep/adv] The car swept past the gate house.
8 VERB If events, ideas, or beliefs sweep through a place, they spread quickly through it. □ [V + through/across ] A flu epidemic is sweeping through Moscow. □ [V n] …the wave of patriotism sweeping the country.
9 VERB If someone sweeps into a place, they walk into it in a proud, confident way, often when they are angry. [WRITTEN ] □ [V prep/adv] She swept into the conference room. □ [V prep/adv] Scarlet with rage, she swept past her employer and stormed up the stairs. □ [V prep/adv] The Chief turned and swept out.
10 VERB If a person or group sweeps an election or sweeps to victory, they win the election easily. □ [V n] …a man who's promised to make radical changes to benefit the poor has swept the election. □ [V + to ] In both republics, centre-right parties swept to power.
11 N‑COUNT [usu sing] 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.
12 → see also sweeping , chimney sweep
13 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.
14 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.
15 to sweep the board → see board
▸ sweep up PHRASAL VERB If you sweep up rubbish or dirt, you push it together with a brush and then remove it. □ [V P n] Get a broom and sweep up that glass will you? □ [V P ] He started working for a gallery sweeping up and making the tea. [Also V n P ] SYNONYMS sweep VERB 1
brush: Using a small brush, he brushed away the fine sawdust.
wipe: I'll just wipe the table.
vacuum: I vacuumed the carpets today. COLLOCATIONS sweep NOUN 4
adjective + sweep : broad, grand, majestic, panoramic; downward
sweep|er /swiː pə r / (sweepers ) N‑COUNT In football, a sweeper is a player whose position is behind the main defenders but in front of the goalkeeper.
sweep|ing /swiː p I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A sweeping curve is a long wide curve. □ …the long sweeping curve of Rio's Guanabara Bay.