wipe

wipe

I

wipe¹ S3 /waɪp/ verb1.  CLEAN/RUB  [transitive]
  a. to rub a surface with something in order to remove dirt, liquid etc
    wipe something with something
    Wipe the table with a damp cloth.
    Bill wiped his eyes (=wiped the tears from his face) and apologized.
    He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose.
  b. to clean something by rubbing it against a surface
    wipe something on something
    He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.
2.  REMOVE DIRT  [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to remove liquid, dirt, or marks by wiping
    wipe something off/from etc something
    Kim wiped the sweat from her face.
3.  COMPUTER/TAPE  [transitive] to remove all the information that is stored on a tape, video, or computer disk
4. wipe something from your mind/memory to try to forget an unpleasant experience
5. wipe the floor with somebody informal to defeat someone completely in a competition or argument
6. wipe the slate clean to agree to forget about mistakes or arguments that happened in the past
7. wipe the smile/grin off sb’s face informal to make someone feel less happy or confident, especially someone who is annoying because they think they are clever:
    Tell him how much it’ll cost – that should wipe the smile off his face!
8. wipe something off the face of the earth/wipe something off the map to destroy something completely:
    Another few years and this species could be wiped off the face of the earth.
9.  PLATES/CUPS ETC  [intransitive and transitive] to dry plates, cups etc that have been washed
   SYN  dry:
    You wash, I’ll wipe.
     
wipe something ↔ away phrasal verb
  to stop something existing:
    A frown quickly wiped away her smile.
wipe something ↔ down phrasal verb
  to completely clean a surface using a wet cloth
wipe something off something phrasal verb British English
  to reduce the value of shares or prices by a particular amount:
    Nearly £7 billion has been wiped off share prices worldwide.
wipe out phrasal verb
  1. wipe something ↔ out to destroy, remove, or get rid of something completely:
    Whole villages were wiped out by the floods.
    Nothing could wipe out his bitter memories of the past.
  2. wipe somebody ↔ out informal to make you feel extremely tired:
    The heat had wiped us out. ⇨ wiped out
  3. American English to fall or hit another object when driving a car, riding a bicycle etc
wipe something ↔ up phrasal verb
  to remove liquid from a surface using a cloth:
    I hastily wiped up the milk I had spilled.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ clean to remove dirt from something: I need to clean the car. | Clean the mud off your shoes.
   ▪ wash to clean something with water and usually soap: She’s washing her hair. | There’s nowhere to wash your clothes.
   ▪ wipe to clean a surface with a cloth, often a wet cloth: Wipe the worktop when you’ve finished cooking.
   ▪ scrub to wash something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush: They made her scrub the floor.
   ▪ rinse to remove dirt from something using water, especially after washing it with soap: Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing it.
   ▪ cleanse formal to clean your skin, using water or a special cream: There are many products available for cleansing your skin.
   ▪ bathe /beɪð/ to clean a wound or a part of your body with water: Bathe the cut and put a plaster on it.
   ▪ do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) to wash plates and pans after a meal: Who’s going to help me do the dishes?
   ▪ do the laundry (also do the washing British English) to wash clothes: On Tuesdays, he does the washing.

II

wipe² noun [countable]
1. a wiping movement with a cloth:
    An occasional wipe with a soft cloth will keep the surface shiny.
    Give the baby’s nose a wipe, would you?
2. a special piece of wet material that you use to clean someone or something and then throw away:
    a pack of baby wipes