Definition of clean
(Entry 1 of 4)
1a
: 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
2a
: 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
3a
: 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)
b
: deftly executed : skillful
clean ballet technique The gymnast made a clean landing.
c
: hit beyond the reach of an opponent
a clean single to center
b
: unencumbered
clean bill of sale
7a
: characterized by clarity and precision : trim
a clean prose style architecture with clean almost austere lines
c
: free from external hindrances to smooth flow (as of water or air)
a clean airplane a ship with a clean bottom
8a
: empty
the ship returned with a clean hold
b
: free from drug addiction
has been clean for six months
c
slang
: having no contraband (such as weapons or drugs) in one's possession
All visitors to the prison are searched to make sure they're clean.
d
of a computer
: not having anything added by a user
installed the software on a clean computer
9
: habitually neat
clean
adverbDefinition of clean (Entry 2 of 4)
1a
: 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
clean
verb
cleaned; cleaning; cleans
Definition of clean (Entry 3 of 4)
1a
: to make clean: such as
(1)
: to rid of dirt, impurities, or extraneous matter
clean a wound
(2)
: to rid of corruption
vowing to clean up city hall
: to undergo or perform a process of cleaning
clean up before dinner
clean house
clean one's clock
clean up one's act
1
: to clean a house and its furniture
2
: to make sweeping reforms or changes (as of personnel)
: to beat one badly in a fight or competition
: to behave in a more acceptable manner
clean
nounDefinition of clean (Entry 4 of 4)
: an act of cleaning dirt especially from the surface of something
She gave the tub a good clean.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for clean
The first known use of clean was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century