yī sǎo ér kōngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(idiom) to make a clean sweep of / to clean out
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-6c0330d52b1fd294. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

一掃而空 一扫而空 [yi1 sao3 er2 kong1] /(idiom) to make a clean sweep of; to clean out/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 一掃而空

  • 一
    yī

    one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire / whole / all / throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yāo] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

  • 扫
    sǎo

    to sweep (with a brush or broom) / to sweep away / to wipe out / to get rid of / to sweep (one's eyes etc) over / to scan

    sào

    (bound form) a (large) broom

  • 而
    ér

    and / as well as / and so / but (not) / yet (not) / (indicates causal relation) / (indicates change of state) / (indicates contrast)

  • 空
    kōng

    empty / air / sky / in vain

    kòng

    to empty / vacant / unoccupied / space / leisure / free time

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.