wipe
(wīp)
[Middle English wipen, from Old English wīpian.]
transitive verb: wiped, wip·ing, wipes.
- To subject to light rubbing or friction, as with a cloth or paper, in order to clean or dry.
- To clean or dry by rubbing: wiped my feet before I went inside.
- To rub, move, or pass (a cloth, for example) over a surface.
- To remove by or as if by rubbing: wipe off dirt; wipe away grease.
- To blot out completely, as from the memory.
- To spread or apply by or as if by wiping: wiped furniture polish over the table.
- To form (a joint) in plumbing by spreading solder with a piece of cloth or leather.
noun
- The act or an instance of wiping.
- Something, such as a towel or tissue, used for wiping.
- A cam that activates another part; a wiper.
- A blow or swipe.
- Informal A jeer; a gibe.
- A transition from one scene in a film or movie to another, effected by means of a line passing across the screen.
phrasal verbs
- wipe out
- To destroy or be destroyed completely.
- Slang To murder.
- Sports To lose one's balance and fall, as when skiing or surfing.
