hoover
/ˈhuvɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.56 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
An American surname from German (shared by several famous people including J. Edgar Hoover and Herbert Hoover).
name
A number of places in the United States:
name
A number of places in the United States:
name
A number of places in the United States:
name
A number of places in the United States:
name
A number of places in the United States:
noun
A vacuum cleaner of the Hoover brand.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of hoover (irrespective of the brand).
Example Sentences
- "I helped Mum tidy up and watched while she Hoovered the carpet."
- "After another hour, I had Hoovered the carpet and emptied the dustbin, and we all sat down to watch vintage home movies."
- "He was left with a pounding headache and a mouth that tasted as if it had Hoovered the carpet."
- "I’d also picked up all the clothes and junk from my bedroom floor, and—for the first time ever—“Hoovered” the carpet without being asked."
- ""What do you do about dogs that don't like Hoovers?" […] At the first opportunity place the Hoover in the area where your dog is lying calmly, and since it is normally the noise that sends it into those fits of anger, it should be unconcerned with a silent machine. Continue to place the Hoover in those areas that your pet is relaxing until it is familiar with the Hoover being in such close proximity. […] By continuing to distract your pet each time the Hoover is switched on but stationary, you should be able to move it a little closer without causing your pet any alarm."
- "And the brooms lined up behind the buckets, and the dusters, dustpans, cloths and brushes, feather dusters and sweepers all lined up bravely to do battle with the thousand upright Hoovers. The Hoovers charged, engines roaring and bags fully inflated."
Etymology
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).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhuvɚ/
- British English: /ˈhuːvə(ɹ)/
Usage
- British usage
- Intransitive verb
- Transitive verb
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in People.