noun
Uncommon
Hoover
HOO-vuh
Hoover (noun) means British informal: a vacuum cleaner, regardless of brand. Example: “Can you get the hoover out and do the living room?”
noun
1
British informal: a vacuum cleaner, regardless of brand.
"Can you get the hoover out and do the living room?"
verb
1
British informal: to vacuum, or to consume something quickly and greedily.
"She hoovered the stairs before guests arrived."
"He hoovered up the entire plate of chips in seconds."
How to use Hoover
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBritish word for a vacuum cleaner, or the act of vacuuming (or eating fast).
UK vs US
Mainly British; American English says "vacuum" or "vacuum cleaner."
Common pairings
run the hoover
hoover up
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Word forms
- Plural
- hoovers
- Third person singular
- hoovers
- Past tense
- hoovered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Can you get the _____ out and do the living room?
Etymology
From the Hoover brand name, one of the earliest popular vacuum cleaner makers, later generalized into everyday British usage for any vacuum cleaner.
Synonyms
View more →
vacuum
vacuum-clean
Related words
Rhymes for Hoover
See all rhymes for Hoover →Frequently asked questions
What does “Hoover” mean?
The word “Hoover” means british informal: a vacuum cleaner, regardless of brand. In plain terms, british word for a vacuum cleaner, or the act of vacuuming (or eating fast).
How do you pronounce “Hoover”?
“Hoover” is pronounced HOO-vuh (/ˈhuvɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “Hoover” in a sentence?
Here is “Hoover” used in a sentence: “Can you get the hoover out and do the living room?”
What part of speech is “Hoover”?
Depending on how it is used, “Hoover” can be a noun and a verb.
Is “Hoover” a common word?
“Hoover” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Hoover” have?
“Hoover” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: british informal: a vacuum cleaner, regardless of brand.
Why do British people call a vacuum cleaner a Hoover?
In British informal usage, Hoover is used as a general word for a vacuum cleaner regardless of the actual brand, similar to how some trademarked names become everyday terms for a whole category of product.
What is the difference between 'to hoover' and 'to vacuum'?
Both describe the same cleaning action in British English, since 'to hoover' is an informal verb meaning to vacuum. The verb can also extend informally to mean consuming something quickly and greedily, such as hoovering up a plate of food.
Is 'hoover' used the same way in American English?
'Hoover' as a verb or generic noun for a vacuum cleaner is chiefly British informal usage; American English typically uses 'vacuum' instead for both the appliance and the action of cleaning with it.
