sweeper

/ˈswipər/
noun
  1. A person or thing that sweeps, especially a machine or tool for cleaning floors.
    • The street sweeper comes by every Tuesday morning to clear the gutters.
    • The janitor used a floor sweeper to clean the hallway after school.
    • We bought a robotic sweeper that runs every night to keep the kitchen floor clean.
  2. In sports, a player who defends the area behind the main defensive line, especially in soccer or field hockey.
    • Our team's sweeper is very fast and reads the game well.
    • In soccer, the sweeper's job is to clear any balls that get past the defenders.
    • The sweeper stopped the striker's shot just before it reached the goal.
  3. A person who cleans a specific area, such as a chimney or a street.
    • After the parade, the street sweepers worked quickly to remove the trash.
    • The chimney sweeper wore a tall black hat and carried a brush.
    • My grandfather worked as a sweeper in a factory when he was young.