2. To brush swiftly over the surface of anything; to pass
with switness and force, as if brushing the surface of
anything; to move in a stately manner; as, the wind sweeps
across the plain; a woman sweeps through a drawing-room.
3. To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through
with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space.
I will sweep it with the besom of destruction.
--Isa. xiv.
23.
2. To drive or carry along or off with a broom or a brush, or
as if with a broom; to remove by, or as if by, brushing;
as, to sweep dirt from a floor; the wind sweeps the snow
from the hills; a freshet sweeps away a dam, timber, or
rubbish; a pestilence sweeps off multitudes.
The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies. --Isa.
xxviii. 17.
I have already swept the stakes. --Dryden.
3. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
Their long descending train, With rubies edged and
sapphires, swept the plain. --Dryden.
4. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence,
to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
And like a peacock sweep along his tail. --Shak.
5. To strike with a long stroke.
Wake into voice each silent string, And sweep the
sounding lyre. --Pope.
6. (Naut.) To draw or drag something over; as, to sweep the
bottom of a river with a net.
7. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an
instrument of observation; as, to sweep the heavens with a
telescope.
{To sweep, or sweep up}, {a mold} (Founding), to form the
sand into a mold by a templet, instead of compressing it
around the pattern.
2. The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep.
3. The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the
sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye.
4. The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood
carried away everything within its sweep.
5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an
epidemic disease.
6. Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the
sweep of a compass.
7. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the
like, away from a rectlinear line.
The road which makes a small sweep. --Sir W.
Scott.
8. One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney
sweeper.
9. (Founding) A movable templet for making molds, in loam
molding.
10. (Naut.)
(a) The mold of a ship when she begins to curve in at the
rungheads; any part of a ship shaped in a segment of
a circle.
(b) A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel
them and partly to steer them.
11. (Refining) The almond furnace. [Obs.]
12. A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal
fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower
a bucket in a well for drawing water. [Variously written
{swape}, {sweep}, {swepe}, and {swipe}.]
13. (Card Playing) In the game of casino, a pairing or
combining of all the cards on the board, and so removing
them all; in whist, the winning of all the tricks
(thirteen) in a hand; a slam.
14. pl. The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are
worked, containing filings, etc.
{Sweep net}, a net for drawing over a large compass.
{Sweep of the tiller} (Naut.), a circular frame on which the
tiller traverses.