Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SWEDE, n.

1. A native of Sweden.
2. A Swedish turnep.

SWE-DEN-BOR'GI-AN, n.

A follower of Swedenborg, who believed he could hold conversation with spirits.

SWE'DISH, a.

Pertaining to Sweden.

SWE'DISH-TUR-NEP, n.

The Brassica campestris or rutabaga, a hard sort of turnep, of two kinds, the white and the yellow. The latter is most valued. – Cyc.

SWEEP, n.

1. The act of sweeping.
2. The compass of a stroke; as, a long sweep.
3. The compass of any turning body or motion; as, the sweep of a door.
4. The compass of any thing flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away every thing within its sweep.
5. Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease. – Graunt.
6. Direction of any motion not rectilinear; as, the sweep a compass.
7. The mold of a ship when she begins to compass in, at the rung heads; also, any part of a ship shaped by the segment of a circle; as, a floor-sweep; a back-sweep, &c.
8. Among refiners of metals, the almond-furnace.
9. Among stamen, a large oar, used to assist the rudder in turning a ship in a calm, or to increase her velocity in a chase, &c.
10. The pole or piece of timber moved on a fulcrum or post, used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water; written by Bailey, swipe; and in Yorkshire, Eng., swape. Sweep of the tiller, a circular frame on which the tiller traverses in large ships.

SWEEP, v.i.

1. To pass with swiftness and violence, as something broad or brushing the surface of any thing; a sweeping rain; a sweeping flood. A fowl that flies near the surface of land or water, is said to sweep along near the surface.
2. To pass over or brush along with celerity and force; as, the wind sweeps along the plain.
3. To pass with pomp; as, a person sweeps along with a trail. She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies. – Shak.
4. To move with a long reach; as, a sweeping stroke. – Dryden.

SWEEP, v.t. [pret. and pp. swept. Sax. swapan, sweopan. It seems to be allied to swab, and may be formed on the root of wipe. G. schweifen.]

1. To brush or rub over with a brush, broom or besom, for removing loose dirt; to clean by brushing; as, to sweep a chimney or a floor. When we say, to sweep a room, we mean to sweep the floor of the room; and to sweep the house, is to sweep the floors of the house.
2. To carry with a long swinging or dragging motion; to carry with pomp. And likes peacock, sweep along his tail. – Shak.
3. To drive or carry along or off by a long brushing stroke or force, or by flowing on the earth. Thus the wind sweep the snow from the tops of the hills; a river sweeps away a dam, timber or rubbish; a flood sweeps away a bridge or house. Hence,
4. To drive, destroy, or carry off many at a stroke, or with celerity and violence; as, a pestilence sweeps off multitude in a few days. The conflagration swept away whole street of houses. l have already swept the stakes. – Dryden.
5. To rub over. Their long descending train, / With rubies edg'd and sapphires, swept the plain. – Dryden.
6. To strike with a long stroke. Wake into voice each silent string, / And sweep the sounding lyre. – Pope.
7. To draw or drag over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net, or with the bight of a rope, to hook an anchor. – Mar. Dict.

SWEEP-ER, n.

One that sweeps.

SWEEP-ING, ppr.

Brushing over; rubbing with a broom or besom; cleaning with a broom or bosom; brushing along; passing over; dragging over.

SWEEP-ING-LY, adv.

By sweeping.

SWEEP-INGS, n. [plur.]

Things collected by sweeping; rubbish. The sweepings of streets are often used as manure.

SWEEP-NET, n. [sweep and net.]

A large net for drawing over a large compass.

SWEEP-STAKE, n. [sweep and stake.]

A man that wins all; usually sweepstakes. Shak.

SWEEP-STAKES, n. [plur.]

The whole money or other things staked or won at a horse-race.

SWEEP-Y, a.

1. Passing with speed and violence over a great compass at once. The branches bend before their sweepy sway. – Dryden.
2. Strutting.
3. Wavy.

SWEET, a. [Sax. swete; D. zoet; G. süss; Sw. söt; Dan. söd; Sans. swad. Qu. L. suavis.]

1. Agreeable or grateful to the taste; as, sugar or honey is sweet.
2. Pleasing to the smell; fragrant; as, a sweet rose; sweet, odor; sweet incense. – Exod. xxxi.
3. Pleasing to the ear; soft; melodious; harmonious; as, the sweet notes of a flute or an organ; sweet music; a sweet voice.
4. Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; as, a sweet face; a sweet color or complexion; a sweet form. – Shak.
5. Fresh; not salt; as, sweet water. – Bacon.
6. Not sour; as, sweet fruits; sweet oranges.
7. Mild; soft; gentle. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades? – Job xxxviii.
8. Mild; soft; kind; obliging; as, sweet manners.
9. Grateful; pleasing. Sweet interchange of hill and valley. – Milton.
10. Making soft or excellent music; as, a sweet singer.
11. Not stale; as, sweet butter. The bread is sweet.
12. Not turned; not sour; as, sweet milk.
13. Not putrescent or putrid; as, the meat is sweet.

SWEET, n.

1. Something pleasing or grateful to the mind; as, the sweets of domestic life. A little bitter mingled in our cup, leaves no relish of the sweet. – Locke.
2. A sweet substance; particularly, any vegetable juice which is added to wines to improve them. – Encyc.
3. A perfume. – Prior. Dryden.
4. A word of endearment.
5. Cane juice, melasses, or other sweet vegetable substance. – Edwards, West Indies.

SWEET-AP-PLE, n. [sweet and apple.]

The Anona squamosa. – Lee.

SWEET-BREAD, n. [sweet and bread.]

The pancreas of a calf; the pancreas of any animal.

SWEET-BRI-ER, n. [sweet and brier.]

A shrubby plant of the genus Rosa, cultivated for its fragrant smell.

SWEET-BROOM, n. [sweet and broom.]

A plant. – Ainsworth.

SWEET-CIC'E-LY, n.

A plant of the genus Scandix; and another of the genus Osmorrhiza.

SWEET-CIS'TUS, n.

A shrub, the Cistus. – Mason.

SWEET-CORN, n.

A variety of the maiz, of a sweet taste.

SWEET-EN, v.i. [swee'tn.]

To become sweet. – Bacon.