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Meaning of clean in English
Pronunciation
/klin/
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Verb
clean
Definitions
1.
make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from
Examples
« Clean the stove! »
« The dentist cleaned my teeth »
Antonyms
dirty
soil
begrime
grime
colly
bemire
2.
remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits
Examples
« Clean the turkey »
3.
clean and tidy up the house
Examples
« She housecleans every week »
4.
clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing
Examples
« clean up before you see your grandparents »
« clean your fingernails before dinner »
5.
be cleanable
Examples
« This stove cleans easily »
6.
deprive wholly of money in a gambling game, robbery, etc.
Examples
« The other players cleaned him completely »
7.
remove all contents or possession from, or empty completely
Examples
« The boys cleaned the sandwich platters »
« The trees were cleaned of apples by the storm »
8.
remove while making clean
Examples
« Clean the spots off the rug »
9.
remove unwanted substances from
10.
remove shells or husks from
Examples
« clean grain before milling it »
Classifying Adjective
clean
Definitions
1.
free of restrictions or qualifications
Examples
« a clean bill of health »
« a clear winner »
Synonyms
unqualified
2.
(of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims
Examples
« efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings »
« clear laughter like a waterfall »
« clear reds and blues »
« a light lilting voice like a silver bell »
Synonyms
pure
3.
free from impurities
Examples
« clean water »
« fresh air »
Synonyms
pure
4.
without difficulties or problems
Examples
« a clean test flight »
Synonyms
perfect
5.
free from sepsis or infection
Examples
« a clean (or uninfected) wound »
Synonyms
antiseptic
6.
morally pure
Examples
« led a clean life »
Synonyms
moral
7.
(of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections
Examples
« fair copy »
« a clean manuscript »
Synonyms
legible
8.
of a surface
Examples
« not written or printed on »
« blank pages »
« fill in the blank spaces »
« a clean page »
« wide white margins »
Synonyms
empty
9.
marked by or calling for sportsmanship or fair play
Examples
« a clean fight »
« a sporting solution of the disagreement »
« sportsmanlike conduct »
Synonyms
fair
just
10.
thorough and without qualification
Examples
« a clean getaway »
« a clean sweep »
« a clean break »
Synonyms
complete
11.
(of a record) having no marks of discredit or offense
Examples
« a clean voting recor »
« a clean driver's license »
Synonyms
unblemished
12.
not carrying concealed weapons
Synonyms
unarmed
13.
free from clumsiness
Examples
« precisely or deftly executed »
« he landed a clean left on his opponent's cheek »
« a clean throw »
« the neat exactness of the surgeon's knife »
Synonyms
adroit
14.
free of drugs
Examples
« after a long dependency on heroin she has been clean for 4 years »
Synonyms
unaddicted
Adverb
clean
Definitions
1.
completely
Examples
« used as intensifiers »
« clean forgot the appointment »
« I'm plumb (or plum) tuckered out »
2.
in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating
Examples
« they played fairly »
Antonyms
unfairly
below the belt
Noun
clean
Definitions
1.
a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
Qualitative Adjective
clean
Etymology
Old English clǣne, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German klein‘small’
Definitions
1.
free from dirt or impurities
Examples
« or having clean habits »
« children with clean shining faces »
« clean white shirts »
« clean dishes »
« a spotlessly clean house »
« cats are clean animals »
Synonyms
cleanable
cleaned
cleansed
cleanly
dry-cleaned
fresh
unused
immaculate
speckless
spick-and-span
spic-and-span
spic
spick
spotless
pristine
unsoiled
unspotted
unstained
unsullied
washed
water-washed
scrubbed
Antonyms
dirty
soiled
unclean
2.
ritually clean or pure
Synonyms
halal
kosher
cosher
Antonyms
unclean
impure
3.
not spreading pollution or contamination
Examples
« especially radioactive contamination »
« a clean fuel »
« cleaner and more efficient engines »
« the tactical bomb is reasonably clean »
Antonyms
dirty
contaminating
4.
(of behavior or especially language) free from objectionable elements
Examples
« fit for all observers »
« good clean fun »
« a clean joke »
Synonyms
antiseptic
Antonyms
dirty
See also
decent