What does wipe mean?
Wipe is a common English verb and noun with a broad range of practical and figurative uses. As a verb, it describes cleaning, drying, or removing something by rubbing, as when you wipe a table with a cloth or wipe a smear from a screen. It can also mean eliminating a record, clearing a problem, or destroying something altogether, particularly in expressions such as “wipe out.” As a noun, a wipe is an individual act or stroke of cleaning, a cloth used for wiping, or, in informal usage, a blow. The word is useful because it combines a precise physical meaning with strong figurative associations. To wipe something away is to remove it completely, while to wipe the slate clean suggests putting aside past mistakes and starting again. Wipe is understood in both British and American English, though surrounding expressions such as “wipe the floor with someone” may sound more informal or idiomatic in some contexts.
To clean, dry, polish, or remove something by rubbing it with a cloth or another surface; to erase or eliminate something; or, informally, to destroy or defeat someone completely.
"He wiped the screen before checking the message again."
The physical sense is neutral. The meaning of complete removal or destruction is especially common in expressions such as “wipe out,” “wipe away,” and “wipe the slate clean.”
An act or stroke of wiping; a cloth or similar item used for cleaning or drying; or an informal blow.
"The counter was given a quick wipe before the next customer arrived."
The senses involving a cloth or blow are less formal and less frequent than the act-of-wiping sense.
The plural “wipes” is used for separate strokes or acts of wiping and can also refer to disposable cleaning cloths.
"She made a few final wipes with the tissue."
From Old English “wīpian” to “wipe the slate clean,” this word has long expressed both physical cleaning and the chance to begin again.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wipe come from?
The word descends from Old English wīpian, “to wipe,” which continued into Middle English as wipen. Old English wīpian is generally traced to a Proto-Germanic root represented in cognates such as German wischen and Dutch wippen. The meaning has remained remarkably stable, extending from rubbing a surface clean to figurative removal or destruction.
Related word forms
How wipe is actually used
In its basic physical sense, wipe is neutral and widely used in formal and informal contexts. Phrases such as “wipe out” can mean complete destruction, financial loss, or defeat, while “wipe someone out” is especially informal and can refer to a decisive victory or a severe beating.