Leviticus 7:19 (Revised Standard Version)
Synonyms
Examples of clean in a Sentence
Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2023
At the end of the dredging, sediment that’s not placed on the beach could be left in the pit and covered with a layer of clean sand.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2023
Think about it: the record companies forced them to be clean cut and preppy and all those things.
—Gary Gerard Hamilton, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Feb. 2023
Flathead is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, with clean, crystalline waters cradled in the Flathead Valley by the Mission Mountains to the east and the Salish Mountains to the west.
—Deb Hopewell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2023
Also known as overlock machines, sergers create strong, durable seams and help produce clean fabric edges.
—Emma Seymour Feb 3, Good Housekeeping, 3 Feb. 2023
Under the auspices of the Sustainable Marblehead Beach Cleaning team, led by Pam Roberts, groups of volunteers clean at least one beach in Marblehead each week, year-round.
—Bette Keva, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Instead, use a clean Q-tip to gently wipe away any excess spray.
—Leah Campano, Seventeen, 3 Feb. 2023
The clean, green power can then be used to power the motors and onboard amenities.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2023
Gannon Burgett, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2023
These services sell carbon credits offered by NGOs and governments that, using offset proceeds, plant mangroves, distribute clean-burning stoves, preserve grasslands, and install digesters to capture cooking gas from manure among other types of projects.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2022
BioLite’s innovative solar, power, and cookstove products make great backpacking companions, but its household products are also directly changing lives in communities where people lack access to electricity, artificial lighting, and clean-burning stoves.
—Kassondra Cloos, Outside Online, 28 July 2022
But the bill, headed for a Senate vote this week, falls far short of President Joe Biden's pledge to transform the nation’s heavily fossil-fuel powered economy into a clean-burning one and stop climate-damaging emissions from U.S. power plants by 2035.
—Matthew Daly, Chron, 7 Aug. 2021
The candles are made mostly by artisan candlemakers and are clean-burning and free of some of the most common toxic ingredients.
—Amanda Prahl, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2023
His goal is to transform the nation’s heavily fossil-fuel powered economy into a clean-burning one.
—Michelle Chapman, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Jan. 2021
Take natural gas, for instance, a clean-burning fuel that plays an important role in the eventual conversion of a greener energy future (once that technology has been fully developed).
—Ben Warwick, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2023
Both the exterior and the interior couple natural elements — like wood and stone — with more modern design choices, like the clean-lined flower beds at the front of the home and the on-trend light fixtures.
—Dallas News, 20 Aug. 2022
Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2023
Sinks, countertops, and toilets often get the most attention come cleaning day.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
Made of stainless steel, the air fryer is easy to clean and offers manual temperature and time control options.
—Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023
Denver reported spending nearly $600,000 on labor and waste disposal in 2021 and 2022 to clean about 230 large encampments, some more than once.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023
Still, Denver reported spending nearly $600,000 on labor and waste disposal in 2021 and 2022 to clean 230 large encampments, some more than once.
—Claire Rush, Janie Har, and Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Nov. 2023
The removable bowl is beyond easy to clean and the battery backup takes worrying about power outages right out of the equation.
—David Moses, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
Several doctors said unattended bodies had begun decomposing in the courtyard of Al-Shifa, some preyed on by dogs and unable to be cleaned or buried outside because of the risk of gunfire encircling the hospital.
—Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
Kimberly questioned why the dung was part of a kitchen ritual, and how the mother cleaned the feces after lighting it on fire.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
Byirina Ivanova, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2023
The motor increases its suction power when more dust is detected, allowing for a thorough clean in places where visible debris can be easy to miss.
—Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2023
The 61-year-old cleans bathrooms and offices at the State Department.
—Derek Hawkins, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023
The Waterpik is dentist-recommended, features 10 settings for a custom clean and is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
The Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Packs provide a thorough clean without damaging the integrity of fine china.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2023
Amazon is home to numerous cleaning gadgets, including robot vacuums, mops, and electric spin scrubbers that shoppers can get their hands on for a quicker and more simple clean.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 11 Oct. 2023
Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn’t able to do a thorough clean.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Finally, remove the water tank and give that a clean with warm, soapy water as well.
—Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Adjective
Middle English clene, going back to Old English clǣne "free from impurities or dirt, unblemished," going back to West Germanic *klainja- (whence also Old Saxon klēni "slender, perceptive," Middle Dutch cleine, clēne "of superior quality, elegant, slender, small," Old High German kleini, chleine "fine, delicate, clever"), of uncertain origin
Note: On the grounds that Low German klīn and Swiss German khlii, with an ablaut grade *klīn-, require a verbal origin, a base *klein-/*klain-/klin- has been suggested, whence Old Norse klína "to smear, butter (bread)," Old High German giklenan "to stroke, smear," from Indo-European *glei̯H- "smear, make stick" (whence, also with a nasal present formation, Old Irish glenaid "(it) adheres, cleaves," Welsh glynu "to stick, adhere"; cf. clay). This derivation would imply for the Germanic adjective an original meaning "smeared on well, carefully applied," hence "well crafted, of superior quality" > "free of impurities, fine, delicate" > "small" (see F. Heidermanns, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektiven, Berlin, 1993). The earlier proposal of a connection with Indo-European *gel- "bright, shining," is improbable, as none of the descendants of Germanic *klainja- have this meaning.
Adverb
Middle English clene, going back to Old English clǣne, derivative of clǣne clean entry 1
Verb
Middle English clenen "to clear of weeds," derivative of clene clean entry 1
Noun
noun derivative of clean entry 3
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
circa 1889, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing clean
Dictionary Entries Near clean
Cite this Entry
“Clean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
clean
1 of 3 adjectiveclean
2 of 3 adverbclean
3 of 3 verb
Medical Definition
clean
1 of 2 adjectiveclean
2 of 2 transitive verb
Legal Definition
clean
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on clean
Nglish: Translation of clean for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of clean for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clean
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