clean

adjective

1》 free from dirt, marks, or pollutants.

    ↘attentive to personal hygiene.

2》 morally pure.

    ↘not offensive or obscene: good clean fun.

    ↘showing or having no record of offences or crimes.

    ↘done according to the rules.

3》 free from irregularities; smooth; well defined: a clean fracture of the leg.

4》 (of an action) smoothly and skilfully done.

5》 (of a taste, sound, or smell) distinctive and fresh.

adverb

1》 so as to be free from dirt.

2》 informal completely: I clean forgot her birthday.

verb

1》 remove dirt or marks from; make clean.

2》 (clean someone out) informal use up or take all someone's money.

    ↘(clean something out) strip a place of and steal all its contents.

3》 (clean up) informal make a substantial gain or profit.

noun an act of cleaning.

Phrases

clean and jerk a weightlifting exercise in which a weight is raised above the head following an initial lift to shoulder level.

clean someone's clock N. Amer. informal beat or decisively defeat someone.

a clean sheet (or slate) an absence of existing restraints or commitments.

↘(keep a clean sheet) (in a soccer match) prevent the opposing side from scoring.

come clean informal fully confess something.

keep one's hands clean remain uninvolved in an immoral or illegal act.

make a clean breast of it fully confess one's mistakes or wrongdoings.

make a clean sweep

1》 remove all unwanted people or things ready to start afresh.

2》 win all of a group of related sporting contests.

Derivatives

cleanable adjective

cleaning noun

cleanish adjective

cleanness noun

Origin

OE clne, of W. Gmc origin.