clean

clean
I. adjective Etymology: Middle English clene, from Old English clǣne; akin to Old High German kleini delicate, dainty Date: before 12th century 1. a. free from dirt or pollution <
changed to clean clothes
>
<
clean solar energy
>
b. free from contamination or disease <
a clean wound
>
c. free or relatively free from radioactivity <
a clean atomic explosion
>
2. a. unadulterated, pure <
the clean thrill of one's first flight
>
b. of a precious stone having no interior flaws visible c. free from growth that hinders tillage <
clean farmland
>
3. a. free from moral corruption or sinister connections of any kind <
a candidate with a clean record
>
; also free from violations <
a clean driving record
>
b. free from offensive treatment of sexual subjects and from the use of obscenity <
a clean joke
>
c. observing the rules ; fair <
a clean fight
>
4. ceremonially or spiritually pure <
and all who are clean may eat flesh — Leviticus 7:19 (Revised Standard Version)
>
5. a. thorough, complete <
a clean break with the past
>
b. deftly executed ; skillful <
clean ballet technique
>
c. hit beyond the reach of an opponent <
a clean single to center
>
6. a. relatively free from error or blemish ; clear; specifically legible <
clean copy
>
b. unencumbered <
clean bill of sale
>
7. a. characterized by clarity and precision ; trim <
a clean prose style
>
<
architecture with clean almost austere lines
>
b. even, smooth <
a clean edge
>
<
a sharp blow causing a clean break
>
c. free from impedances to smooth flow (as of water or air) <
a clean airplane
>
<
a ship with a clean bottom
>
8. a. empty <
the ship returned with a clean hold
>
b. free from drug addiction <
has been clean for six months
>
c. slang having no contraband (as weapons or drugs) in one's possession 9. habitually neat • cleanness noun II. adverb Date: before 12th century 1. a. so as to clean <
a new broom sweeps clean
>
b. in a clean manner <
play the game clean
>
2. all the way ; completely <
the bullet went clean through his arm
>
III. verb Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. a. to make clean: as (1) to rid of dirt, impurities, or extraneous matter (2) to rid of corruption <
vowing to clean up city hall
>
b. remove, eradicate — usually used with up or off <
clean up that mess
>
2. a. strip, empty <
a tree cleaned of fruit
>
b. to remove the entrails from <
clean fish
>
c. to deprive of money or possessions — often used with out <
they cleaned him out completely
>
intransitive verb to undergo or perform a process of cleaning <
clean up before dinner
>
cleanability nouncleanable adjective IV. noun Date: circa 1889 an act of cleaning dirt especially from the surface of something

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • clean — clean …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • clean — [klēn] adj. [ME clene < OE clæne, clean, pure < IE * ĝ(e)lēi < base * ĝel , to gleam > OIr gel, gleaming, white, OHG kleini, gleaming, bright, fine (> Ger klein, small)] 1. a) free from dirt, contamination, impurities, etc.;… …   English World dictionary

  • clean — ► ADJECTIVE 1) free from dirt, pollutants, or harmful substances. 2) morally pure: clean living. 3) not obscene. 4) attentive to personal hygiene. 5) showing or having no record of offences or crimes: a clean driving licence. 6) played or done… …   English terms dictionary

  • Clean — (kl[=e]n), a. [Compar. {Cleaner} (kl[=e]n [ e]r); superl. {Cleanest}.] [OE. clene, AS. cl[=ae]ne; akin to OHG. chleini pure, neat, graceful, small, G. klein small, and perh. to W. glan clean, pure, bright; all perh. from a primitive, meaning… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clean — may refer to: Music The Clean, an influential first wave punk band Clean (album), an industrial album by Deitiphobia Clean , a song by Depeche Mode from their 1990 album Violator Clean, an amplifier sound in guitar terminology Clean, an Edwin… …   Wikipedia

  • clean — adj Clean, cleanly are often confused. Clean is applied to a person or thing that is actually free from dirt; cleanly to a person or animal whose habit or tendency is to be clean; thus, one who is cleanly, though not always able to keep clean,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • clean — clean; clean·a·bil·i·ty; clean·a·ble; clean·li·ly; clean·li·ness; clean·ness; house·clean; re·clean; un·clean; un·clean·li·ness; bio·clean; un·clean·ly; un·clean·ness; …   English syllables

  • Clean — «Clean» Canción de Depeche Mode Álbum Violator Publicación 19 de marzo de 1990 Grabación …   Wikipedia Español

  • clean — [ klin ] adj. inv. • 1978; mot angl. « propre » ♦ Anglic. fam. 1 ♦ Qui a un air propre, soigné. Une allure, un look clean. Un intérieur clean. 2 ♦ Qui est sain, net moralement. Spécialt Qui ne prend pas de drogue. Être clean (opposé à speedé) . ● …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Clean — Семантика: функциональный Автор(ы) …   Википедия

  • clean-up — (v.), clean up (adj.),or cleanup (n.) (1) An informal phrase used by lenders to describe a provision in loan documents, usually the promissory notes used for lines of credit. The clean up provision requires that the loan balance outstanding under …   Financial and business terms

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