December 19, 2011 - Word of the Day: wipe

To "wipe" something is it to clean it. This word is usually used when cleaning something that is dirty or has something on it--a table, a car, hands, a person's face, etc.

• John wiped his hands on a towel after fixing his car.
• Please wipe this table with soap and water.
• Tanya wiped the mud off of her car with a hose.
• A snowplow is wiping the snow off of the street.
• The school janitor wiped up the mud that the kids tracked into the building.
• Don't wipe your mouth with your sleeve while you're eating! Use a napkin.
• Wipe off your feet before you enter the house.
• Windshield wipers wipe water off of the windshield of a car.

You'll often hear "wipe" and "out" together when something completely disappears or when there is an accident:

• After Don lost his job, he wiped out his savings in order to pay all of his bills.
• An overwhelming military force wiped out the opposing armies.
• I wiped out while driving to work yesterday and hit a tree.

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