English Lexicon

Vacuum cleaner

/ˈvæk.juːm ˌkliː.nər/
nounCEFR B1 (Intermediate)Top #8500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    An electrical appliance that creates partial suction to draw in dust and dirt from floors and other surfaces.

    "She used the vacuum cleaner to get the pet hair off the living room carpet."
  2. 2

    An industrial machine designed for heavy-duty suction of debris or liquids.

    "The maintenance crew brought out the heavy-duty industrial vacuum cleaner to clear the workshop floor."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word vacuum derives from the Latin vacuus meaning 'empty', entering English in the 17th century. The verb clean stems from Old English clǣne, combined with the agent suffix -er to denote a device that performs the action. The compound noun became prominent in the early 20th century with the invention and commercialization of motorized domestic suction cleaning machines.

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