<p><strong>Verb (used with object):</strong></p><ul><li>swept, sweep·ing.</li><li>to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.</li><li>to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.</li><li>to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave: The wind swept the snow into drifts.</li><li>to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement: The painter swept a brush over his canvas.</li><li>to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.</li><li>to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often followed by of): to sweep a sea of enemy ships.</li><li>to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc.: sandstorms sweeping the plains.</li><li>to search (an area or building) thoroughly: Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.</li><li>to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.): His eyes swept the countryside.</li><li>to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like: He swept his eyes over the countryside.</li><li>to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.</li><li>to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest): Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.</li><li>to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests): The Yankees swept the three-game series.</li><li>Music: to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing.</li><li>to bring forth (music) thus.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun:</strong></p><ul><li>the act of sweeping, especially a moving, removing, clearing, etc., by or as if by the use of a broom: to give the house a good sweep.</li><li>the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption: the sweep of the wind and the waves.</li><li>an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.</li><li>a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.</li><li>reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about: the sweep of a road about a marsh.</li><li>a continuous extent or stretch: a broad sweep of sand.</li><li>a curving, especially widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.</li><li>matter removed or gathered by sweeping.</li><li>Also called well sweep.</li><li>a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.</li><li>a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.</li><li>an overwhelming victory in a contest.</li><li>a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.</li><li>Football: end run.</li><li>one of the sails of a windmill.</li><li>Agriculture: any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.</li><li>Chiefly British: a person employed to clean by sweeping, especially a chimney sweeper.</li><li>Cards: Whist: the winning of all the tricks in a hand.</li><li>Compare slam 2 (def 1).</li><li>Casino: a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.</li><li>Physics: an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.</li></ul>