Meaning of hoover up | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To suck (something) into a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.
   colloquial, transitive
2. To do the vacuuming.
   colloquial, intransitive
3. To consume (food or drink) quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.
   colloquial, idiomatic, transitive
4. To avidly absorb something as if by a vacuum cleaner.
   colloquial, figuratively, transitive

Examples

“Don't worry about the mess on the carpet - I'll hoover it up later.”

“I'll hoover up after I've finished washing the dishes.”

“[…] a deputy governor of China’s central bank pointed out that China no longer hoovers up dollar reserves with its past abandon.”

“Essentially, the problem dates back to pre-privatisation, cost-driven British Rail practices which featured an unholy pact between management and unions, whereby management was able to employ fewer drivers and limited pension cost liabilities, while drivers were able to hoover up lots of lucrative Sunday overtime.”

“With Jones and Botterman hoovering up penalties at the breakdown, Ward and Maud Muir putting the brakes on France's rolling maul and Cokyane waving off her opposite number after getting the better of a scrum, England were winning plenty of battles.”

CEFR level