houseclean

verb

house·​clean ˈhau̇s-ˌklēn How to pronounce houseclean (audio)
housecleaned; housecleaning; housecleans

intransitive verb

1
: to clean a house and its furniture
2
: to get rid of unwanted or undesirable items or people

transitive verb

1
: to clean the surfaces and furnishings of
2
: to improve or reform by ridding of undesirable people or practices
housecleaning noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Spending on things like housecleaning services or grocery delivery left people feeling more satisfied than spending on things like new clothes and wine. Ashley Whillans And Michael Norton, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2017 If a company tells you it is bonded, know that doesn’t mean much: The bonds housecleaning services buy protect the company, not you. Kevin Brasler, The Seattle Times, 28 Apr. 2017

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

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from housecleaning

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of houseclean was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near houseclean

Cite this Entry

“Houseclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/houseclean. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on houseclean

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY