#1 hoover n. [Hoover, William Hoover, William Henry Hoover] United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932). wn #2 hoover v. [vacuum, vacuum-clean] clean with a vacuum cleaner; "vacuum the carpets". wn #3 hoover n. [Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover, John Edgar Hoover] United States lawyer who was director of the FBI for 48 years (1895-1972). wn #4 hoover n. [Hoover, Herbert Hoover, Herbert Clark Hoover, President Hoover] 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). wn #5 hoover n. [Hoover] a kind of vacuum cleaner. wn