Also 5–6 swepe-, 6 sweepestake, 6 swepstacke. [f. SWEEP v. 8 (SWEEP- 2) + STAKE sb.2 Cf. SWOOPSTAKE.]
† 1. One who ‘sweeps,’ or takes the whole of, the stakes in a game, etc.; usually fig. one who takes or appropriates everything; from the 15th to the 17th cent. commonly used as a ship’s name.
α. 1495. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 159. The Kinges Bark called the Swepestake.
1520. in Lett. & Papers Hen. VIII., III. II. 1541. To John Hopton, wages of the Swepestake row-barge, and for rigging other ships, 100 l.
1527. Will of J. Piper (Somerset Ho.). My shipp called the Mary Swepestake.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, b iv. Pantolabus signifieth omnia capiens, one that is a swepestake and all is fysshe that commeth to the nette with hym.
1545. in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. VII. 8. The second rancke of the vauntward:—The greate gallye. The Swepstacke.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 111. He that will exploit wonderments, and karrie all before him, like a sweepe-stake.
1593. in J. Morris, Troubles Cath. Forefathers (1877), 163. The gleaners, as sweepstakes, who raked up without scruple all that whereof the other made some conscience.
1595. Roxb. Ball. (1889), VI. 409. The George-Aloe and the Sweep-stake too.
1632. Brome, Novella, II. ii. Shee will runne on the faster…. She will prove the only Sweep-stake In all the city.
1687. Miége, Gt. Fr. Dict., Sweep-stake, He that gets all the Stakes, Celui (on Celle) qui tire l’Enjeu.
β. c. 1650. (title of ballad) The Seaman’s only Delight: Shewing the brave Fight between the George-Aloe, the Sweepstakes and certain French Men at Sea.
1669. Narborough, Jrnl., 15 May, in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. (1711), 1. I received … my Commission to Command his Majesty’s Ship the Sweepstakes.
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 18. Thy Sweep-stakes still shall bare the Bell, No Fire-ship yet aboard it fell.
† 2. The act of sweeping everything away; a clean sweep; total removal or clearance. Only in form sweepstake: usually in phr. to make sweepstake, to play (at) sweepstake. Obs.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 323. Verres wheresoeuer he came plaied swepestake [orig. quod omnia uerreret].
c. 1555. [Coverdale], Exhort. carienge of Chrystes crosse, xii. 133. If the pope and his prelates were charitable, they woulde, I trowe, make swepe stake at once wyth purgatorye.
1557. R. Edgeworth, Serm., 314. And this boke made swepestake of the blessed sacrament, declaring there to be nothing els but bare bread and wine.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., III. 403 b. Leo the 10. … devising … to make sweepestake for money [orig. de emungenda pecunia].
1569. Nashe, Martins Months Mind, To Rdr. For the moste parte … they maie in the end with a tripsie Tray, carrie all awaie smoothe; and come once to the sweepestake.
1613. J. Taylor (Water P.), Heav. Blessing, Wks. 1630, III. 123/2. Death … whose auaritious greedy mood, Doth play at sweepe-stake with all liuing things.
1648. in Rushw., Hist. Coll., IV. (1659), II. 1227. The Scots play Sweep-stake, take nothing but all Moveables.
c. 1650. Abp. Williams, in Hacket, Life, II. (1693), 172. I cannot conceive from what ground this general Sweepstake of Archbishops, Bishops, Parsons, Vicars,… should proceed.
1653. Vind. Christmas, Title-p., The lamentable game called Sweepstake, acted by Gen. Plunder and Maj. Gen. Tax.
3. orig. A prize won in a race or contest in which the whole of the stakes contributed by the competitors are taken by the winner or by a certain limited number of them; hence (now usually), the race or contest itself. (Cf. STAKE sb.2 3.)
1773. Mme. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), I. 234. The great Sweep Stakes of the asses were half-a-guinea; the second prize a crown, and the third half-a-crown.
1785. W. Pick (title), Authentic Historical Racing Calendar of all the Plates, Sweep-stakes, Matches, &c., run for at York, 1709–1785.
1835. H. Harewood, Dict. Sports, s.v. Woodpecker, At Newmarket Spring Meeting, 1777, Woodpecker won sweepstakes of 1500 gs.
1854. Poultry Chron., I. 616/1. A Sweepstake for Dahlias, of 2s 6d. each (open to the County).
b. A betting or gambling transaction in which each person contributes a stake, and the whole of the stakes are taken by one or divided among several under certain conditions.
1862. Sala, Seven Sins, III. v. 121. A lucky draw in a sweepstakes on one of the minor races.
1901. D. B. Hall & Ld. A. Osborne, Sunshine & Surf, ii. 18. We had nothing so modern or up to date as sweepstakes on the day’s run [of the ship].
4. attrib.
1599. Minsheu, Sp. Dict., Pleas. Dial. (1623), 25. It is not, but that you will not haue any game of vertue but sweepe stake play.
1779. Sylph, I. 238. My former winnings are in the sweep-stake-pool at the commerce-table.
1896. Peterson Mag., Jan., 89/2. Four miles the old mule took at sweepstake pace.
1897. Westm. Gaz., 29 May, 10/1. The amount spent on sweepstake tickets during the autumn race meeting totalled up to the respectable sum of £107,164.
Hence Sweepstaking, gambling in the way of sweepstakes.
1882. S. G. Thomas, in Burnie, Mem. & Lett., xv. (1891), 179. There is a good [deal] of card-playing on board, and some ‘sweepstaking.’
