Hoover

See also: hoover

English

Etymology

The surname is an anglicization of German Huber or Low German Hufer, originally designating a landowner or a prosperous small-scale farmer. The common noun and verb are taken from the brand name of one of the first vacuum cleaners (see hoover).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhuːvə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhuvɚ/
• Rhymes: -uːvə(ɹ)
• Homophone: hoover
• Hyphenation: Hoo‧ver

Proper noun

Hoover

1. An American surname from German (shared by several famous people including J. Edgar Hoover and Herbert Hoover).
2. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A city in Jefferson County and Shelby County, Alabama, incorporated in 1967 and named after William H. Hoover.
   2. An unincorporated community in Adams Township, Cass County, Indiana, named after founder Riley Hoover.
   3. An unincorporated community in Platte County, Missouri, named after merchant James Hoover.
   4. An unincorporated community in Garvin County, Oklahoma, named after physician Daniel H. Hoover.
   5. An unincorporated community in Butte County, South Dakota, named after cattleman John Hoover.

Derived terms

after Herbert Hoover, US president during the Depression:

• Hoover bag
• Hoover blanket
• Hooverette
• Hoover flag
• Hoover hog
• Hooverize
• Hooverizer
• Hoover shoes
• Hooverville
• Hoover wagon

Translations

surname

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 胡佛 (zh) (Húfó)

• Hebrew: הובר (he) (húver)
• Japanese: フーバー (Fūbā)
• Russian: Гу́вер (ru) m or f (Gúver)
• Ukrainian: Гу́вер m or f (Húver)

Noun

Hoover (plural Hoovers)

1. A vacuum cleaner of the Hoover brand, or irrespective of brand (alternative form of hoover).

Verb

Hoover (third-person singular simple present Hoovers, present participle Hoovering, simple past and past participle Hoovered)

1. Alternative letter-case form of hoover.
   • 1976, Robert Leeson, The Demon Bike Rider, London: Collins, →ISBN, page 65:

     I helped Mum tidy up and watched while she Hoovered the carpet.

   • 1984 February 22, Hunter Davies, “Father’s Day”, in Punch, volume 286, number 7473, Punch Publications Ltd., page 33, column 3:

     After another hour, I had Hoovered the carpet and emptied the dustbin, and we all sat down to watch vintage home movies.

   • 1995, Peter Lovesey, The Summons, Thorndike, Me.: Thorndike Press; Bath: Chivers Press, →ISBN, page 84:

     He was left with a pounding headache and a mouth that tasted as if it had Hoovered the carpet.

   • 2018, Elissa Brent Weissman, The Length of a String‎^[1], Dial Books for Young Readers, →ISBN:

     I’d also picked up all the clothes and junk from my bedroom floor, and—for the first time ever—“Hoovered” the carpet without being asked.