Hoover vs. Hover — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 6, 2023
Hoover refers to a vacuum cleaner brand, while Hover means to remain in one place in the air.
Difference Between Hoover and Hover
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Hoover and Hover are two distinct words with different origins and meanings. Hoover originates from the name of a company that popularized the vacuum cleaner, while Hover has roots in Old Norse and means to remain floating or suspended in air or water.
When one says they are "hoovering the carpet," they mean they are cleaning the carpet using a vacuum cleaner. On the other hand, if someone says a bird is "hovering" above a tree, it means the bird is staying in one place in the air, usually by flapping its wings.
Hoover has become synonymous with vacuuming due to the company's dominance in the market. Hover, however, has a more general application, denoting a state of suspension or floating.
Both Hoover and Hover can be used as verbs. For instance, one can "hoover the floor" and a helicopter can "hover over a location."
In conclusion, while Hoover is associated specifically with a brand of vacuum cleaners and the act of vacuuming, Hover is a broader term indicating suspension or floating in air or water.
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Comparison Chart
Origin
Brand name of a vacuum cleaner
Old Norse
Meaning
To vacuum
To remain in one place in the air
Use
Often used as a verb (to vacuum)
Used as a verb (to float or suspend)
Synonym
Vacuuming
Floating, suspending
Example
"I will hoover the living room."
"The drone hovered above the park."
Compare with Definitions
Hoover
A brand of vacuum cleaner.
I just bought a new Hoover.
Hover
To stay close to a person or thing.
She hovered near the exit, unsure of leaving.
Hoover
Referring to President Herbert Hoover.
The Hoover administration faced the Great Depression.
Hover
To remain in a state of indecision.
He hovered between two choices.
Hoover
To consume quickly or greedily.
He hoovered up his dinner.
Hover
To be situated at a level or in between two levels.
Temperatures will hover around freezing tonight.
Hoover
An act of vacuuming.
The room needs a quick hoover.
Hover
Remain in one place in the air
Army helicopters hovered overhead
Hoover
A vacuum cleaner, properly one made by the Hoover company.
Hover
An act of remaining in the air in one place
Keep the model in a stable hover
Hoover
A US city in north central Alabama, south of Birmingham; population 71,020 (est. 2008).
Hover
To remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in the air
Gulls hovering over the waves.
Hoover
Clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner
He was hoovering the stairs
Hover
To remain or linger in or near a place
Hovering around the speaker's podium.
Hoover
To clean (a surface or material) with a vacuum cleaner
Hoovered the rug.
Hover
To remain in an uncertain state; waver
Hovered between anger and remorse.
Hoover
To remove with a vacuum cleaner. Often used with up
Hoovered up the spilled cereal.
Hover
(Computers) To position a pointer over an object or area of the screen, causing a pop-up box to appear or other change to occur
Hover over the image to display the filename.
Hoover
(Slang) To consume entirely; devour. Often used with up or down.
Hover
To cause to hover
The pilot hovered the helicopter a few feet above the icy river.
Hoover
(Informal) To use a vacuum cleaner
Needs to hoover before the guests arrive.
Hover
(Computers) To position (a pointer) over an object or area of the screen
Hovered the cursor over the link.
Hoover
A vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.
Hover
The act or state of hovering
A helicopter in hover.
Hoover
To clean (a room, etc.) with a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.
I need to hoover this room.
Hover
(transitive)
Hoover
To use a vacuum cleaner, irrespective of brand.
My husband is upstairs, hoovering.
Hover
To keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air.
Hoover
(transitive) To suck in or inhale, as if by a vacuum cleaner.
Hover
Of a bird: to shelter (chicks) under its body and wings; (by extension) of a thing: to cover or surround (something).
Hoover
A kind of vacuum cleaner.
Hover
(obsolete) Of a bird or insect: to flap (its wings) so it can remain stationary in the air.
Hoover
To clean with a vacuum cleaner.
Hover
(intransitive)
Hoover
United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932)
Hover
To remain stationary or float in the air.
The hummingbird hovered by the plant.
Hoover
United States lawyer who was director of the FBI for 48 years (1895-1972)
Hover
(figuratively)
Hoover
31st President of the United States; in 1929 the stock market crashed and the economy collapsed and Hoover was defeated for re-election by Franklin Roosevelt (1874-1964)
Hover
(computing) Chiefly followed by over: to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over something on a screen such as a hyperlink or icon without clicking, so as to produce a result (such as the appearance of a tooltip).
A tooltip appears when you hover over this link.
Hoover
A kind of vacuum cleaner
Hover
(nautical) To travel in a hovercraft as it moves above a water surface.
Hoover
Clean with a vacuum cleaner;
Vacuum the carpets
Hover
An act, or the state, of remaining stationary in the air or some other place.
Hoover
To clean using a vacuum.
Can you hoover the bedroom?
Hover
A flock of birds fluttering in the air in one place.
Hover
(figuratively) An act, or the state, of being suspended; a suspension.
Hover
A cover; a protection; a shelter; specifically, an overhanging bank or stone under which fish can shelter; also, a shelter for hens brooding their eggs.
Hover
A cover; a shelter; a protection.
Hover
To hang fluttering in the air, or on the wing; to remain in flight or floating about or over a place or object; to be suspended in the air above something.
Great flights of birds are hovering about the bridge, and settling on it.
A hovering mist came swimming o'er his sight.
Hover
To hang about; to move to and fro near a place, threateningly, watchfully, or irresolutely.
Agricola having sent his navy to hover on the coast.
Hovering o'er the paper with her quill.
Hover
Be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action;
He oscillates between accepting the new position and retirement
Hover
Move to and fro;
The shy student lingered in the corner
Hover
Hang in the air; fly or be suspended above
Hover
Be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of gravity;
The guru claimed that he could levitate
Hover
Hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing;
The terrible vision brooded over her all day long
Hover
To remain in one place in the air.
The helicopter hovered above the scene.
Hover
To be in a state of uncertainty.
The outcome hovered in the balance.
Common Curiosities
What is the primary meaning of "Hoover"?
Hoover is a brand name for a vacuum cleaner and has also come to mean "to vacuum."
Is Hoover only associated with vacuuming?
No, while primarily linked to vacuuming, "hoover" can also mean to consume quickly or greedily.
Can "hover" indicate uncertainty?
Yes, it can denote being in a state of indecision or uncertainty.
Is Hoover a universal term for vacuuming worldwide?
No, while it's common in some countries like the UK, it's not universally used to mean "to vacuum."
Can objects other than flying ones "hover"?
Yes, "hover" can be used metaphorically, like prices hovering at a certain level.
Can "hover" mean to vacuum?
No, hover means to remain in one place in the air or to stay close to something.
Is "Hoover" derived from a person's name?
Yes, it is associated with the Hoover Company's founder, William Henry Hoover.
What does it mean when a bird "hovers"?
It means the bird remains stationary in the air, often by rapidly flapping its wings.
Is it correct to say "hoovering up information"?
Yes, it's a metaphorical use meaning to quickly or greedily consume information.
Can both "Hoover" and "Hover" be used as verbs?
Yes, one can "hoover the floor" and a drone can "hover in the sky."
Can a person "hover"?
Yes, in the context of staying close to or lingering near someone or something.
Is "hoover" always capitalized?
When referring to the brand, yes. However, when used as a generic term for vacuuming, it might not be capitalized.
What's the opposite of "hover"?
In the context of flying, it might be "dive" or "descend."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
