hoovered; hoovering; hoovers
chiefly British
1
transitive + intransitive
: to clean with a vacuum cleaner
hoovering the carpet
Once you've wiped down the surfaces and hoovered, giving the floor a good mop and watching that brilliant shine appear makes all the effort feel worthwhile.—
Nicola Roy
Nicola Roy2
a
: to take in by or as if by eating greedily : devour
The author keeps readers on the edge of their seats, constantly questioning Juniper's motives and the extent of her misdeeds. … I hoovered this in three nights as the plot twists and turns …—Heather Suttie
—often used with upHeather SuttieExtra pigs in blankets … bowls of nuts—basically put any food in front of us for the whole month of December and it will be hoovered up with next to no encouragement required!—Simon Duke
Simon Duke
b
: to gather or take possession of as if by suction
The model where banks hoovered hapless customers into their financial advice arms and fleeced them of every dollar they could was shut down …—Ben Butler
—often used with upBen ButlerA series of attacks initially stopped before a loose ball was hoovered up by Raff Hollister to touch down to the right of the posts.—The Rugby Paper
The Rugby PaperThe AI sector hoovered up 71 percent of all American venture capital investment in Q1 2025 according to research firm PitchBook.—Brian Contreras
Brian ContrerasCite this Entry
“Hoover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoover. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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