clean

adjective

\ ˈklēn

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)

5a : thorough, complete a clean break with the past

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

6a : relatively free from error or blemish : clear specifically : legible clean copy

b : unencumbered clean bill of sale

7a : 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 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

adverb

Definition 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)

transitive verb

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

b : remove, eradicate —usually used with up or off clean up that mess

2a : 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

clean house

1 : to clean a house and its furniture

2 : to make sweeping reforms or changes (as of personnel)

clean one's clock

: to beat one badly in a fight or competition

clean up one's act

: to behave in a more acceptable manner

clean

noun

Definition of clean (Entry 4 of 4)

: an act of cleaning dirt especially from the surface of something She gave the tub a good clean.

Other Words from clean Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about clean

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Other Words from clean

Adjective

cleanness \ ˈklēn-nəs

\ noun

Verb

cleanability \ ˌklē-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

cleanable \ ˈklē-nə-bəl

\ adjective

Examples of clean in a Sentence

Adjective

This table isn't clean. There's a sticky spot where something spilled. He keeps a very clean house. The janitor does a good job of keeping the office clean. I wiped the baby's face clean. He's a clean young man. Cats are very clean animals. Solar power provides clean energy.

Adverb

Somehow, the top of the machine came clean off. The nail went clean through the wall. The fish were jumping clean out of the water.

Verb

The carpet needs to be cleaned. They divide household duties so that she cleans and her husband cooks. They cleaned the fish and cooked them on the campfire. skin and clean a rabbit

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Many of the models also walked with just clean flawless skin and glossy lips, reminding us that even the simplest looking looks take time and detailed attention. — Shalwah Evans, Essence, "Keke Palmer Walked Her First NYFW Runway In Cornrows And Red Lips," 11 Sep. 2019 The new chemistry lab includes a transparent glass wall that provides a clean, modern learning and collaboration environment. — Carol Kovach, cleveland.com, "Stomp, Tri-C’s new teal triceratops mascot, visits Western Campus: Sun Postings," 10 Sep. 2019 Most require little of us other than a pen, our smartphone contacts and time — time that’s usually found somewhere between pouring milk into cereal bowls and making sure everyone has (somewhat clean) socks. — Stacey Steinberg, Washington Post, "The online privacy checklist your kids need you to have," 9 Sep. 2019 There's just no clean, satisfying way to do so, and therefore no perfect fashion to consider every player on his own merits. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "Top 100 NBA Players of 2020: Inside the Process," 9 Sep. 2019 Menstruators needed to be able to throw products in a bag and keep them clean, to carry them from desk to restroom, and then from restroom stall to waste container. — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "How tampons and pads became so unsustainable," 6 Sep. 2019 Bake, rotating once, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. — Tara Bench, Country Living, "Towering Haunted House Cake," 6 Sep. 2019 Alpha Brain, Gorilla Mind Smooth, Brain Force Plus, Dawn to Dusk—are displayed in clean, futuristic fonts. — Richard Cooke, The New Republic, "The conservative commentariat’s love affair with nootropics," 3 Sep. 2019 The clean sheet didn’t reflect a lack of challenge for the Orlando defense. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Three things we learned from Orlando City’s 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City," 17 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Juana 's parents didn 't grumble about the work at the factory, where hundreds of workers lined up in rows to perform a task -- stun, slaughter, pluck feathers, clean, cut or debone. — Author: Jenny Jarvie, Anchorage Daily News, "Mississippi raids split families and leave children adrift: ‘I just want my mom and dad’," 11 Aug. 2019 Charlottesville has long outgrown its patrician Jeffersonian roots to become a mecca for artists and musicians, youthful retirees, and clean-cut techies. — James Loeffler, WSJ, "The Struggle for Charlottesville," 10 Aug. 2018 In 2017, BART’s overtime spending systemwide rose by $2.2 million — but the department charged with keeping stations clean managed to cut its overtime by nearly $1 million, records show. — Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, "BART reining in janitor overtime after public fallout," 30 Apr. 2018 And that required relying on an image of the Kennedys as upstanding, clean-cut, even glamorous public servants. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The Kennedy family built up a public mythology. TV and movies are taking it apart.," 9 Apr. 2018 Finch, who is remarkably clean-cut for an unwashed anarcho-punk, represents freedom, sexuality and a comfortable racial identity. — Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, "Review: Deirdre O’Connell Loses Her Grip on Reality in ‘Terminus’," 20 Feb. 2018 Derrick Cardosi, 25, was clean-cut and wearing a white dress shirt and slacks when he was led into Newton County Superior Judge Daniel J. Molter's courtroom Monday by his attorney, Harry Falk. — Carrie Napoleon, Post-Tribune, "Jury selection begins in Sumava Resorts stabbing deaths trial," 29 Jan. 2018 An unknown person attempted to open the floor clean-out drain in the men's bathroom at Oct. 6 at 11:41 a.m. from Elm Grove Village Park, 13600 Juneau Blvd. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brookfield-Elm Grove Police Report: Woman refuses to leave drive-thru due to lack of napkin," 12 Oct. 2017 The build-up has been light on trash talk, with Parker living up to his image of being clean-cut and courteous. — USA TODAY, "Heavyweight champ Parker hits the road to boost profile," 21 Sep. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

After a day of taking samples and cleaning, officials think a sewage spill in Huntington Harbour on Thursday might have been less extensive than previously believed. — Los Angeles Times, "Sewage spill at Huntington Harbour could be smaller than the feared 60,000 gallons," 29 Aug. 2019 Airports also charge extra for optional services like cleaning, towing and providing electricity to a plane while it is parked at the gate. — Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation, "Why would anyone want to sit on a plane for over 18 hours? An economist takes the world’s longest flight," 28 Aug. 2019 Once the shoe finishes its pass through the sole press, the last is removed for reuse and the shoe gets laced, tagged, cleaned, and inspected. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "Everything That Goes Into Making a New Balance Sneaker," 23 Aug. 2019 One day in June 1919, workers in a busy Canadian cannery in Port Essington rushed to clean, cook, and can the bright red flesh of a huge number of sockeye salmon hauled from the nearby Skeena River. — Lesley Evans Ogden, Science | AAAS, "Century-old salmon-smeared notebooks reveal past bounty of fisheries," 20 Aug. 2019 During the California drought, the state enacted mandatory water use reductions; agricultural producers across the state suffered greatly, and in many parts of the state, access to clean, safe drinking water became tenuous. — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "'Snow droughts' are coming for the American West," 14 Aug. 2019 Everything is picked, cleaned, and quickly chilled a day before delivery, two if rain is in the forecast. — Eric Velasco, al, "Follow the journey of local food from seed to plate," 13 Aug. 2019 The women who came to stay all pitched in, cleaning the house, taking donations, answering the phone, which began ringing constantly, helping out with child care while mothers went to the doctor or the housing office. — Larissa Macfarquhar, The New Yorker, "The Radical Transformations of a Battered Women’s Shelter," 13 Aug. 2019 To clean, wash berries gently in cold water just before using. — Darlene Zimmerman, Detroit Free Press, "Greek yogurt helps cut calories in these easy brownies with raspberry sauce," 11 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Camuy Caves are closed while still undergoing post-hurricane clean-up, though good alternatives for spelunking travelers are Cueva Ventana and Cueva del Indio, all close by. — Kathleen Squires, Condé Nast Traveler, "What to Expect Traveling in Post-Hurricane Puerto Rico," 20 Aug. 2019 Dianna Shaffer and Melody Ghormley went to St. Francis June 27 to prepare for a parish clean-up scheduled for the next day. — oregonlive.com, "Reverence and resistance in one of Portland’s oldest Catholic churches," 11 Aug. 2019 Plus, the slim design allows the 11S to fit under more nooks and crannies for a better clean, which means less work for you. — Courtney Campbell, USA TODAY, "The 5 best early Prime Day deals you can get this Friday," 12 July 2019 The package comes with three brush heads to choose from: a bristle brush for a daily deep clean, a silicone brush for exfoliation and texture improvement, and a charcoal brush for brightening. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Proactiv Partners With Hello Kitty for the Purrfect Skin-Care Collaboration," 24 July 2018 The district is the product of a multi-billion taxpayer funded clean-up of Boston Harbor. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "The FBI Is Still So White: raceAhead," 24 July 2019 As The Conversation reported, cigarette butts comprise 30 to 40 percent of all litter found in coastal and urban litter clean-ups since the 1980s. — Vanna Quiroz, CBS News, "Experts say cigarette butts — not plastic straws — are largest human-caused pollutant," 20 July 2019 Undoubtedly, the programme resulted in significant macroeconomic gains with rising growth, single digit inflation, fiscal consolidation and banking sector clean-up. — Priscilla Twumasi-baffour, Quartz Africa, "Many Ghanaians think their country should divorce the IMF—that isn’t likely to happen," 8 July 2019 Hazardous waste clean-up is a multi-step process, which starts with site visits and reviews to determine if the area threatens human health or the environment. — Claire Wolters, National Geographic, "Toxic waste, explained," 26 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clean.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of clean

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

History and Etymology for clean

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.