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Hoover, J(ohn) Edgar 1895-1972.

American director of the FBI (1924-1972). He is remembered for fighting gangsterism during the Prohibition era and for a vigorous anti-Communist campaign after World War II.

hoo·ver

(hvər)

v. hoo·vered, hoo·ver·ing, hoo·vers

v.tr.

1. Informal

a. To clean (a surface or material) with a vacuum cleaner: hoovered the rug.

b. To remove with a vacuum cleaner. Often used with up: hoovered up the spilled cereal.

2. Slang To consume entirely; devour. Often used with up or down.

v.intr.

Informal To use a vacuum cleaner: needs to hoover before the guests arrive.

[After the Hoover Company, a prominent manufacturer of vacuum cleaners.]

Hoo·ver

(hvər), Herbert Clark 1874-1964.

The 31st president of the United States (1929-1933). After the stock market crash of 1929 he was unwilling to finance employment through direct federal intervention and lost the presidency to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.

(click for a larger image)

Herbert Hoover

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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