Definition

1. Noun:

   • A brand name for a type of vacuum cleaner: "Hoover" is a trademark that has become a generic term for a vacuum cleaner, especially in British English.
   • Herbert Hoover: The 31st President of the United States (1929-1933).
   • J. Edgar Hoover: The first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), serving from 1935 to 1972.
   • William Henry "Boss" Hoover: Founder of the Hoover Company, which originally manufactured leather goods and later vacuum cleaners.

2. Verb:

   • To clean with a vacuum cleaner: To use a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt and dust from a surface, especially carpets.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Appliance):

  • I need to buy a new hoover. (I need to buy a new vacuum cleaner.)
  • Could you pass me the hoover? (Could you pass me the vacuum cleaner?)

• Noun (Person):

  • President Hoover was in office during the start of the Great Depression.
  • J. Edgar Hoover served as FBI director for nearly five decades.

• Verb:

  • I have to hoover the living room before the guests arrive. (I have to vacuum the living room...)
  • She hoovers the stairs every week. (She vacuums the stairs every week.)

Advanced Usage

• "To give something a hoover": To clean something quickly with a vacuum cleaner.

  • Just give the rug a quick hoover. (Just vacuum the rug quickly.)

• Capitalization Note: When referring to the brand or the people, "Hoover" is capitalized. When used as a generic verb or noun, it is often written in lowercase ("hoover"), especially in informal British English.

Variants and Related Words

• Hoovering (gerund/noun): The action of cleaning with a vacuum cleaner.

  • I hate hoovering. (I hate vacuuming.)

• Hoover bag / Hoover filter: Specific parts or accessories for a Hoover-brand vacuum cleaner.

Synonyms

• Vacuum (verb/noun): To clean with a vacuum cleaner; the appliance itself.
• Clean (verb): A more general term for making something clean.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hoover up:
  • To clean something thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner.

    • He hoovered up all the crumbs from the floor.
  • (Informal/Figurative) To consume or acquire something quickly and completely.

    • The company hoovered up all the smaller competitors.

Related Idioms

• "Like a hoover": (Simile, informal) Describing something that consumes or takes in things very rapidly and completely.
  • He eats like a hoover! (He eats very quickly and completely.)

Noun

1. a kind of vacuum cleaner
2. 31st President of the United States; in 1929 the stock market crashed and the economy collapsed and Hoover was defeated for reelection by Franklin Roosevelt (1874-1964)
3. United States lawyer who was director of the FBI for 48 years (1895-1972)
4. United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932)

Verb

1. clean with a vacuum cleaner
   • vacuum the carpets