Word Study
wipe
CIDE DICTIONARY
wipe, n. [Cf. Sw. vipa, Dan. vibe, the lapwing.].
The lapwing. [1913 Webster]
wipe, v. t. [OE. vipen, AS. wīpian; cf. LG. wiep a wisp of straw, Sw. vepa to wrap up, to cuddle one's self up, vepa a blanket; perhaps akin to E. whip.].
- To rub with something soft for cleaning; to clean or dry by rubbing; as, to wipe the hands or face with a towel. [1913 Webster]"Let me wipe thy face." [1913 Webster]"I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down." [1913 Webster]
- To remove by rubbing; to rub off; to obliterate; -- usually followed by away, off or out. Also used figuratively. Shak. [1913 Webster]"Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon." [1913 Webster]
- To cheat; to defraud; to trick; -- usually followed by out. Spenser. [1913 Webster]"If they by coveyne [covin] or gile be wiped beside their goods." [1913 Webster]
wipe, n.
- Act of rubbing, esp. in order to clean. [1913 Webster]
- A blow; a stroke; a hit; a swipe. [1913 Webster]
- A gibe; a jeer; a severe sarcasm. Swift. [1913 Webster]
- A handkerchief. [1913 Webster]
- Stain; brand. Shak. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
wipe, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 clean or dry the surface of by rubbing with the hands or a cloth etc.
2 rub (a cloth) over a surface.
3 spread (a liquid etc.) over a surface by rubbing.
4 (often foll. by away, off, etc.) a clear or remove by wiping (wiped the mess off the table; wipe away your tears). b remove or eliminate completely (the village was wiped off the map).
5 a erase (data, a recording, etc., from a magnetic medium). b erase data from (the medium).
6 Austral. & NZ sl. reject or dismiss (a person or idea).
--n.
1 an act of wiping (give the floor a wipe).
2 a piece of disposable absorbent cloth, usu. treated with a cleansing agent, for wiping something clean (antiseptic wipes).
--v.tr.
1 clean or dry the surface of by rubbing with the hands or a cloth etc.
2 rub (a cloth) over a surface.
3 spread (a liquid etc.) over a surface by rubbing.
4 (often foll. by away, off, etc.) a clear or remove by wiping (wiped the mess off the table; wipe away your tears). b remove or eliminate completely (the village was wiped off the map).
5 a erase (data, a recording, etc., from a magnetic medium). b erase data from (the medium).
6 Austral. & NZ sl. reject or dismiss (a person or idea).
--n.
1 an act of wiping (give the floor a wipe).
2 a piece of disposable absorbent cloth, usu. treated with a cleansing agent, for wiping something clean (antiseptic wipes).
Idiom
wipe down clean (esp. a vertical surface) by wiping. wipe a person's eye colloq. get the better of a person. wipe the floor with colloq. inflict a humiliating defeat on. wipe off annul (a debt etc.). wipe out
1 a destroy, annihilate (the whole population was wiped out). b obliterate (wiped it out of my memory).
2 sl. murder.
3 clean the inside of.
4 avenge (an insult etc.).
wipe-out n.
1 the obliteration of one radio signal by another.
2 an instance of destruction or annihilation.
3 sl. a fall from a surfboard. wipe the slate clean see SLATE.
wipe up
1 Brit. dry (dishes etc.).
2 take up (a liquid etc.) by wiping.
1 a destroy, annihilate (the whole population was wiped out). b obliterate (wiped it out of my memory).
2 sl. murder.
3 clean the inside of.
4 avenge (an insult etc.).
wipe-out n.
1 the obliteration of one radio signal by another.
2 an instance of destruction or annihilation.
3 sl. a fall from a surfboard. wipe the slate clean see SLATE.
wipe up
1 Brit. dry (dishes etc.).
2 take up (a liquid etc.) by wiping.
Derivative
wipeable adj.
Etymology
OE wipian: cf. OHG wifan wind round, Goth. weipan crown: rel. to WHIP
THESAURUS
wipe
air-dry, anhydrate, bake, blackout, bleach, blocking, blot, bowdlerize, brush, burn, clean, clean out, clean up, cleanse, clear out, conk, cure, dehumidify, dehydrate, delouse, dematerialization, departure, depurate, desiccate, deterge, disappearance, disappearing, dispersion, dissipation, dissolution, dissolving, drain, dry, dry-clean, dust, dust off, eclipse, elimination, erasure, evanescence, evaporate, evaporation, expurgate, exsiccate, extinction, fadeaway, fadeout, fading, fire, freshen, going, hit, insolate, kerchief, kiln, knock, lick, lustrate, melting, mummify, occultation, parch, passing, purge, purify, rap, reform, rub, scavenge, scorch, sear, shrivel, smoke, soak up, sponge, spruce, steam-clean, sun, sun-dry, swab, swat, sweep out, sweeten, swipe, tidy, torrefy, towel, vanishing, vanishing point, weazen, whiten, wipe off, wipe out, wipe up, wither, wizenROGET THESAURUS
wipe
Cleanness
VB be clean, render clean, clean, cleanse, mundify, rinse, wring, flush, full, wipe, mop, sponge, scour, swab, scrub, brush up, wash, lave, launder, buck, absterge, deterge, decrassify, clear, purify, depurate, despumate, defecate, purge, expurgate, elutriate, lixiviate, edulcorate, clarify, refine, rack, filter, filtrate, drain, strain, disinfect, fumigate, ventilate, deodorize, whitewash, castrate, emasculate, sift, winnow, pick, weed, comb, rake, brush, sweep, rout out, clear out, sweep out, make a clean sweep of.Punishment
N punishment, punition, chastisement, chastening, correction, castigation, discipline, infliction, trial, judgment, penalty, retribution, thunderbolt, Nemesis, requital, penology, retributive justice, lash, scaffold, imprisonment, transportation, banishment, expulsion, exile, involuntary exile, ostracism, penal servitude, hard labor, galleys, beating, flagellation, fustigation, gantlet, strappado, estrapade, bastinado, argumentum baculinum, stick law, rap on the knuckles, box on the ear, blow, stripe, cuff, kick, buffet, pummel, slap, slap in the face, wipe, douse, coup de grace, torture, rack, picket, picketing, dragonnade, capital punishment, execution, lethal injection, the gas chamber, hanging, electrocution, rail-riding, scarpines, decapitation, decollation, garrotte, garrotto, crucifixion, impalement, firing squad, martyrdom, auto-da-fe, noyade, happy dispatch, hara-kiri, seppuku, drinking the hemlock, punishing, penal, punitory, punitive, inflictive, castigatory, punished, Int, a la lanterne!, culpan paena premit comes, eating the bitter bread of banishment, gravis ira regum est semper, sera tamen tacitis paena venit pedibus, suo sibi gladio hunc jugulo.VB punish, chastise, chasten, castigate, correct, inflict punishment, administer correction, deal retributive justice, cowhide, lambaste, visit upon, pay, pay out, serve out, do for, make short work of, give a lesson to, serve one right, make an example of, have a rod in pickle for, give it one, strike, deal a blow to, administer the lash, smite, slap, slap the face, smack, cuff, box the ears, spank, thwack, thump, beat, lay on, swinge, buffet, thresh, thrash, pummel, drub, leather, trounce, sandbag, baste, belabor, lace, lace one's jacket, dress, dress down, give a dressing, trim, warm, wipe, tund, cob, bang, strap, comb, lash, lick, larrup, wallop, whop, flog, scourge, whip, birch, cane, give the stick, switch, flagellate, horsewhip, bastinado, towel, rub down with an oaken towel, rib roast, dust one's jacket, fustigate, pitch into, lay about one, beat black and blue, beat to a mummy, beat to a jelly, give a black eye, tar and feather, pelt, stone, lapidate, masthead, keelhaul, execute, bring to the block, bring to the gallows, behead, decapitate, guillotine, decollate, hang, turn off, gibbet, bowstring, hang draw and quarter, shoot, decimate, burn, break on the wheel, crucify, empale, impale, flay, lynch, electrocute, gas, send to the gas chamber, torture, put on, put to the rack, picket, banish, exile, transport, expel, ostracize, rusticate, drum out, dismiss, disbar, disbench, strike off the roll, unfrock, post, suffer, suffer for, suffer punishment, be flogged, be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty, be hanged, come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing, twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes, be rightly served, be electrocuted, fry, ride the lightning, face the firing squad.
Disrespect
N disrespect, disesteem, disestimation, disparagement irreverence, slight, neglect, spretae injuria formae, superciliousness, vilipendency, vilification, contumely, affront, dishonor, insult, indignity, outrage, discourtesy, practical joking, scurrility, scoffing, sibilance, hissing, sibilation, irrision, derision, mockery, irony, sarcasm, hiss, hoot, boo, gibe, flout, jeer, scoff, gleek, taunt, sneer, quip, fling, wipe, slap in the face, disrespectful, aweless, irreverent, disparaging, insulting, supercilious, contemptuous, patronizing, rude, derisive, sarcastic, scurrile, scurrilous, contumelious, unrespected, unworshiped, unenvied, unsaluted, unregarded, disregarded, disrespectfully.Dryness
VB be dry, render dry, dry, dry up, soak up, sponge, swab, wipe, drain, desiccate, dehydrate, exsiccate, parch, kiln dry, vacuum dry, blow dry, oven dry, hang out to dry, mummify, be fine, hold up.For further exploring for "wipe" in Webster Dictionary Online