In British English, a vacuum cleaner is commonly referred to as a "hoover" or "Hoover." This term comes from the Hoover Company, an American company that was one of the early manufacturers of vacuum cleaners. Over time, "hoover" became a genericized trademark and is now widely used in the UK to describe any vacuum cleaner, regardless of the brand. So, if you hear someone in Britain saying they need to "hoover the carpet" or "run the hoover," they are talking about using a vacuum cleaner.