sweeper
sweeper
UK[ˈswiːpə(r)]US[ˈswiːpər]
n
a person or device that cleans an area by sweeping
n
a player in a team sport, especially soccer, who plays in a defensive position behind the other defenders
Morpheme Breakdown
sweep
er
sweep
er
Etymology
the word "sweeper" is a transparent english compound formed from the verb "sweep" and the agentive suffix "-er." the verb "sweep" originates from old english swāpan, meaning to drive, rush, or sweep clean, which itself has proto-germanic roots. the suffix "-er," from old english -ere, is a common germanic agent-noun formative used to denote someone or something that performs the action of the verb. thus, the literal meaning, "one who sweeps," directly informs both its primary modern sense of a cleaning person or device and its metaphorical extension in sports to a player who "cleans up" or covers the area behind the main defensive line.
Analysis
Structure: sweep + er
sweep (verb, from old english swāpan, meaning to sweep, drive, rush); er (agent noun suffix, from old english -ere, indicating a person or thing that performs an action)
Examples
the street sweeper passed by early in the morning, clearing the fallen leaves.
in their defensive strategy, the coach assigned him to play as a sweeper.
she used a carpet sweeper to quickly clean up the crumbs from the floor.