sweeper

From Middle English swepere, swepare, equivalent to sweep +‎ -er. Cognate with Middle Low German swēpære, swēper (“broom for sweeping up debris”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈswipɚ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

sweeper (plural sweepers)

1. One who sweeps.
2. One who sweeps floors or chimneys.
3. A detector for mines.
4. Any of the small, tropical marine perciform fishes of the family Pempheridae, typically with deeply keeled, compressed bodies and large eyes.
5. (soccer) A defender who is the last line of defence before the goalkeeper.

   Synonym: libero

6. (curling) A person who sweeps the ice ahead of the rock in play.
7. (cricket) A batsman who plays sweep shots.
8. (cricket) A fielding position along the boundary; a fielder in this position.
9. A tree that has fallen over a river with branches extending into the water.
   • 2007, Basic Essentials Canoe Paddling, 3rd - Page 62

     ..tree will be hanging over the water about canoe level (a sweeper)..

   • 1975, Verne Huser, River Running: Canoeing, Kayaking, Rowing, Rafting - Page 102

     So named because they can sweep passengers from a boat, they can also capsize a canoe, especially when paddlers lean too far away from the sweeper..

10. A carpet sweeper.
11. (US, regional, including Ohio, Indiana and Western Pennsylvania) A vacuum cleaner.
12. (regional, including Cebu) A group of students tasked at cleaning the homeroom after class dismissal.
13. (hiking) The last person in the line of hikers that is responsible for ensuring no one gets separated from the group.
14. (video games) A character designed or capable of knocking out multiple enemies in succession, usually due to a combination of high offense and high speed.
15. (motor racing, slang) A large-radius, or high/medium speed corner in a racing circuit, named as such because of the ability of someone to trace the corner profile via "sweeping" motion of the arm.

• resweep, weepers