sweeper
sweeper — noun
- sweepersingular
- sweepersplural
1. A person who cleans streets, floors, or other surfaces by sweeping with a broom
A person who cleans streets, floors, or other surfaces by sweeping with a broom or brush; or a brush or small machine used to clean floors and carpets by moving across them and collecting dust and dirt.
Every morning at five, Yara waves to the street sweeper as she leaves for work.
compound noun: street sweeper
Vivek bought a small carpet sweeper to clean up his children's art-project mess.
carpet sweeper as a manual/electric cleaning tool
The stadium has a night crew of sweepers who clean the stands after each game.
Kemi's grandmother still uses a manual carpet sweeper because she finds vacuum cleaners too noisy.
A street sweeper rumbled down the quiet road at dawn, spraying water onto the pavement.
- cleaner
broader term — a cleaner may wash, dust, and mop, not just sweep
- janitor
specifically someone who cleans and maintains a building, often including sweeping
- brush
a handheld tool for sweeping; sweeper often implies a larger or mechanical device
- broom
the simplest hand-held sweeping tool; a sweeper is usually a more complex or mechanical version
用法筆記
When referring to a person, sweeper is often paired with a specific location or surface (street sweeper, floor sweeper). When referring to a tool, it is commonly preceded by an adjective describing the surface (carpet sweeper, road sweeper).
常見錯誤
2. In soccer, a defensive player positioned behind the main defenders whose role is
In soccer, a defensive player positioned behind the main defenders whose role is to stop any opposing player who gets past them and to clear the ball away from the goal area.
Coach Takeshi told Lakan to play sweeper because he read the game better than anyone.
soccer position: play as sweeper
The sweeper saw the striker's run and stepped forward to intercept the pass near goal.
Nikos's favourite player was a famous sweeper for AC Milan during the 1990s.
When the sweeper cleared the ball off the goal line, the stadium crowd erupted.
Modern teams rarely use a sweeper, preferring a flat back four defence instead.
- libero
the Italian term for the same position, implying more freedom to move forward with the ball
- last defender
descriptive phrase focusing on the sweeper's position as the final outfield player before the goalkeeper
用法筆記
The sweeper position is most associated with European football (soccer) and was especially common in Italian and German defensive systems from the 1960s through the 1990s. The term is rarely used in American football or other sports.