Sweepings are the small bits of rubbish — dust, hair, crumbs, dead leaves, wood shavings, scraps of thread — that you push into a pile with a brush and then throw away. The word names the pile, not the action.

Sweepingssweepings are the small bits of rubbish是掃出來的小垃圾 — dust, hair, crumbs, dead leaves, wood shavings, scraps of thread灰塵、頭髮、碎屑、枯葉、木屑、線頭 — that you push into a pile with a brush and then throw away你用刷子把它們掃成一堆再丟掉。The word這個字 names the pile指的是那一堆 not the action不是掃的這個動作

It is always plural: 'the sweepings were thrown out', never 'a sweeping'.

It它 is always plural一定是複數 — 'the sweepings were thrown out'「the sweepings were thrown out」 never 'a sweeping'不會說「a sweeping」

You meet it most in older writing and in places where sweeping up is part of the work: a bakery, a carpenter's workshop, a mill, a factory floor.

You meet it most in older writing你最常在較舊的文章裡遇到它 and in places where sweeping up is part of the work或在打掃是工作一部分的地方 — a bakery, a carpenter's workshop, a mill, a factory floor麵包店、木工坊、磨坊、工廠地板

Because sweepings are what is left over after everything valuable has been taken, the word is sometimes used about people or things in a cruel way, meaning the worthless leftovers nobody wanted — 'the sweepings of the streets'. That use is old-fashioned and insulting, so understand it in books but do not say it.

Because sweepings are what is left over after everything valuable has been taken因為sweepings是值錢的東西被拿走後剩下的 the word is sometimes used about people or things in a cruel way這個字有時被用來殘忍地形容人或東西 meaning the worthless leftovers nobody wanted意思是沒人要的沒用殘渣 — 'the sweepings of the streets'「the sweepings of the streets」。That use這個用法 is old-fashioned and insulting是老派又帶侮辱性的 so understand it in books but do not say it所以在書裡看懂就好，不要自己說出口

Note that 'sweeping' on its own has other meanings entirely: as an adjective it means wide and total ('sweeping changes'), and it is also the -ing form of the verb sweep.

Note注意 that 'sweeping' on its own has other meanings entirely單獨的「sweeping」意思完全不同 — as an adjective it means wide and total ('sweeping changes')當形容詞是廣泛、全面的意思（像「sweeping changes」） and it is also the -ing form of the verb sweep也是動詞sweep的-ing形式