wipe
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to clean or dry a surface by rubbing it with a cloth, a piece of paper, or your hand.
v.to rub a surface with a cloth or similar object in order to remove dirt, liquid, or other substances. Transitive in this sense.
Simple“Please wipe the table after you finish your lunch.”
In context“The waiter quickly wiped the counter with a damp cloth before the next group of customers arrived for the dinner service.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to remove all the information from a computer, phone, or hard drive.
v.to delete all data from a storage medium, often as a security measure or during a system reset.
Simple“You should wipe your phone's memory before you sell it to someone else.”
In context“The IT department had to wipe the stolen laptop remotely to ensure that sensitive company information did not fall into the wrong hands.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.when every member of a team or group dies at the same time in a video game.
v.to suffer a total party defeat in a cooperative game or raid, resulting in all players being killed simultaneously. Often used intransitively.
Simple“Our whole team wiped because the boss was much stronger than we expected.”
In context“Despite our careful preparation, the group wiped during the final phase of the encounter due to a single mechanical error.”
UsageOften used as an intransitive verb in gaming contexts.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.a small, wet piece of cloth or paper used for cleaning things or your skin.
n.a disposable, often pre-moistened piece of cloth or paper used for hygienic or cleaning purposes.
Simple“She used a baby wipe to clean the chocolate off the child's face.”
In context“The technician used an antiseptic wipe to sterilise the surface before beginning the delicate repair process.”
Synonymstowelettetissue - 05 B1 Intermediate
n.the act of cleaning something by rubbing it once.
n.a single act or instance of rubbing a surface to clean or dry it.
Simple“Give the window a quick wipe to get rid of those fingerprints.”
In context“A quick wipe with a microfibre cloth is usually enough to maintain the screen's clarity without needing harsh chemicals.”
“The Dutch bank Triodos said the extreme heat and its consequences could wipe out much of the projected economic growth for the EU.”
“The white substance was a naturally occurring fungus and it was wiping out the caterpillar, which gained its name from its march-like advance through fields of crops.”
From Middle English wipen, from Old English wīpian (“to wipe, rub, cleanse”), from Proto-West Germanic wīpōn (“to wipe”), from Proto-Indo-European weyp- (“to twist, wind around”). Cognate with German wippen (“to bob”), Swedish veva (“to turn, wind, crank”), Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍀𐌰𐌽 (weipan, “to wreathe, crown”), Old English swīfan (“to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene”), Sanskrit वेपते (vépate, “to tremble”). More at swivel, swift.
Compare Swedish vipa, Danish vibe (“lapwing”).
From wipe out (verb) and wipeout (noun) by shortening.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.