Definition of sweeping Sweeping

/swiˈpɪŋ/ - [sweeping] - sweep•ing

We found 14 definitions of sweeping from 7 different sources.

What does sweeping mean?

Noun Plural: sweepings
sweeping - the act of cleaning with a broom
		cleaning, cleansing, cleanup the act of making something clean; "he gave his shoes a good cleaning"
Adjective
sweeping - ignoring distinctions; "sweeping generalizations"; "wholesale destruction"
		wholesale
sweeping - taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination; "a sweeping glance"; "a wide-sweeping view of the river"

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sweeping (p. pr. & vb. n.)
of Sweep
sweeping (a.)
Cleaning off surfaces, or cleaning away dust, dirt, or litter, as a broom does; moving with swiftness and force; carrying everything before it; including in its scope many persons or things; as, a sweeping flood; a sweeping majority; a sweeping accusation.

sweeping
draguer, the act of dragging the bight, or loose part of a small rope, along the surface of the ground, in a harbour, or road, in order to hook and recover some anchor, wreck, or other material, sunk at the bottom. It is performed by fastening the two ends of this rope to the sides of two boats which are abreast of each other, at some distance. To the middle of the rope are suspended two cannon-shot, or something which weighs heavy, in order to sink it to the ground; so that, as the boats advance, by rowing ahead, the rope drags along the bottom, to hook any anchor, &c. for which they are searching.

sweeping
The act of dragging the bight or loose part of a small rope along the ground, in a harbour or roadstead, in order to recover a sunk anchor or wreck. The two ends of the rope are fastened to two boats, a weight being suspended to the middle, to sink it to the ground, so that, as the boats row ahead, it may drag along the bottom. Also, a term used for rapidly scrutinizing a certain portion of the heavens in quest of planets, comets, &c.