United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932)
"The museum exhibit featured a photograph of Hoover, the American industrialist behind the famous vacuum cleaner brand."
United States lawyer who was director of the FBI for 48 years (1895-1972)
"J. Edgar Hoover directed the FBI for forty-eight years, shaping American law enforcement from 1895 to 1972."
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)
"Hoover's presidency ended when he lost his bid for re-election to Franklin Roosevelt following the Great Depression."
a kind of vacuum cleaner
"She asked her mother to hoover the living room before guests arrived."
A vacuum cleaner of the Hoover brand, or irrespective of brand (alternative form of hoover).
"She used her old hoover to clean up all the dust from the attic."
A vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.
In plain English: A hoover is another word for a vacuum cleaner used to suck up dirt and dust from floors.
"She used her hand-held hoover to clean up all the crumbs from the kitchen table."
Usage: Although the verb form is now generic for any vacuuming action, the noun "hoover" remains primarily British English and should be avoided in American usage where "vacuum cleaner" or just "vacuum" is standard. Do not use this term when referring to a specific brand like Hoover unless you are quoting someone directly.
To clean (a room, etc.) with a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.
"She spent the entire afternoon hoovering up crumbs and dust from every corner of the living room."
In plain English: To hoover means to clean up dust and dirt by using a vacuum cleaner.
"She used her hand to hoover up all the crumbs from the table before she left."
An American surname, from German (shared by several famous people including J. Edgar Hoover and Herbert Hoover).
"The new president of the FBI was widely expected to be a Hoover given his family's long history in law enforcement."
Hoover began as a surname derived from the German word for "farmer," but it entered modern English primarily through its use as a famous brand name for an early vacuum cleaner. The verb form to "hoover" simply describes the action of using this specific machine, which became so popular that people started applying the term generically to any similar device.