Hoover
WordNet
noun
(1) A kind of vacuum cleaner
(2) 31st President of the United States; in 1929 the stock market crashed and the economy collapsed and Hoover was defeated for reelection by Franklin Roosevelt (1874-1964)
(3) United States lawyer who was director of the FBI for 48 years (1895-1972)
(4) United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932)
verb
(5) Clean with a vacuum cleaner
"Vacuum the carpets"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
The surname is an anglicization of and Huber. The common noun and verb are taken from the brand name of one of the first vacuum cleaners.
Proper noun
- A brand of vacuum cleaner.
- (shared by several famous people including J Edgar Hoover and Herbert Hoover).
Usage notes
- Hoover is a registered trademark of The Hoover Company. Its use as a generic term is a common example of trademark erosion.