ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hoover

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈhuvɝ// UK //hˈuːvɐ// hoover

v. to clean a floor or carpet using a vacuum cleaner. You use this word when you want to say you are sucking up dust and dirt.

v. to clean a surface by removing dust and debris with a vacuum cleaner. Originally a trademarked brand name, it has become a generic verb in many English-speaking regions.


SIMPLE

I need to hoover the living room carpet.

CONTEXTUAL

She decided to hoover the hallway before her guests arrived for dinner.

COMPLEX

The housekeeper spent the morning hoovering the thick Persian rugs to remove the accumulated dust from the winter months.

Synonyms
Origin

The surname is an anglicization of German Huber or Low German Hufer, originally designating a landowner or a prosperous small-scale farmer. The common noun and verb are taken from the brand name of one of the first vacuum cleaners (see hoover).

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object (e.g., 'hoover the floor').

Idioms2 entries

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