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cleaning

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
clean  (kln)
adj. clean·er, clean·est
1. Free from dirt, stain, or impurities; unsoiled.
2.
a. Free from foreign matter or pollution; unadulterated: clean air; clean drinking water.
b. Not infected: a clean wound.
3.
a. Producing relatively little pollution: a clean fuel; a cleaner, more efficient engine.
b. Producing relatively little radioactive fallout or contamination: a clean nuclear bomb.
4. Having no imperfections or blemishes; regular or even: a clean edge; a smooth, clean joint.
5.
a. Not ornate or intricate; spare: "the clean lines and exquisite proportions of early modernism" (Judith Thurman).
b. Sharply defined; clear-cut: a clean outline against the sky.
6. Free from clumsiness; deft; adroit: a clean throw.
7. Devoid of restrictions or encumbrances: a clean bill of health.
8. Thorough; complete: a clean getaway.
9. Having few alterations or corrections; legible: clean manuscript.
10. Blank: a clean page.
11.
a. Morally pure; virtuous: led a clean life.
b. Having no marks of discredit or offense: a clean voting record.
12. Fit for all readers, listeners, or audiences; not ribald or obscene: a clean joke.
13. Honest or fair: a clean fighter; a clean competition.
14. Slang
a. Not carrying concealed weapons or drugs.
b. Innocent of a suspected crime.
15. Informal
a. Free from narcotics addiction.
b. Showing no evidence of using banned or performance-enhancing substances: proven to be clean before the race.
adv. cleaner, cleanest
1. So as to be unsoiled: wash the dishes clean.
2. In a fair manner: played the game clean.
3. In a clean or nonpolluting manner: a fuel that burns clean.
4. Informal Entirely; wholly: clean forgot the appointment.
v. cleaned, clean·ing, cleans
v.tr.
1. To rid of dirt, rubbish, or impurities: clean a room; clean a suit.
2. To get rid of (impurities or dirt, for example); remove: cleaned up the trash; cleaned off the stains.
3. To prepare (fowl or other food) for cooking, as by removing the entrails or fat.
4. To remove the contents from; empty: cleaned my plate.
5. Sports To lift (a barbell) from the floor to the shoulders in one motion.
v.intr.
To undergo or perform an act of cleaning.
Phrasal Verbs:
clean out
1. To rid of dirt, rubbish, or impurities.
2. To empty of contents or occupants.
3. Informal To drive or force out: cleaned out the incompetent workers.
4. Slang To deprive completely of money or material wealth: The robbery cleaned us out.
clean up
1. To make clean or orderly.
2. To make oneself clean, neat, or presentable.
3. To dispose of; settle: cleaned up the unpaid bills.
4. Slang To make a large profit, often in a short period of time: cleaned up during the bull market.
Idiom:
clean house Slang
To eliminate or discard what is undesirable: The scandal forced the company to clean house.

[Middle English clene, from Old English clne.]

cleana·ble adj.
cleanness n.
Synonyms: clean, antiseptic, cleanly, immaculate, spotless
These adjectives mean free from dirt: clean clothing; antiseptic surgical instruments; a cleanly pet; an immaculate tablecloth; a spotless kitchen.
Antonym: dirty
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.cleaningcleaning - the act of making something clean; "he gave his shoes a good cleaning"
improvement - the act of improving something; "their improvements increased the value of the property"
disinfestation - the activity of getting rid of vermin
spring-cleaning - the activity of cleaning a house thoroughly at the end of winter
scrubbing, scouring, scrub - the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water
dry cleaning - the act of cleaning (fabrics) with a solvent other than water
sweeping - the act of cleaning with a broom
purging, purge - an act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements
purification - the act of cleaning by getting rid of impurities
sterilisation, sterilization - the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means)
sanitisation, sanitization, sanitation - making something sanitary (free of germs) as by sterilizing
depilation, epilation - the act of removing hair (as from an animal skin)
washup, bathing - the act of washing yourself (or another person)
housecleaning - the act of cleaning the rooms and furnishings of a house; "efficient housecleaning should proceed one room at a time"
Translations
cleaning [ˈkliːnɪŋ]
A. Nlimpieza f, limpia f (LAm)
to do the cleaninghacer la limpieza
B. CPD cleaning fluid Nlíquido m de limpieza
cleaning lady, cleaning woman Nseñora f de la limpieza

cleaning [ˈkliːnɪŋ] n
[place, thing] → nettoyage m
(= housework) → ménage m
cleaning fluid n (for stains)détachant m (liquide)
cleaning lady nfemme f de ménage
cleaning products nproduits mpl d'entretien
cleaning woman nfemme f de ménage

cleaning
n the ladies who do the cleaningdie Frauen, die (hier) sauber machen; cleaning fluidReinigungsflüssigkeit f

cleaning [ˈkliːnɪŋ] npulizia
to do the cleaning → fare le pulizie
cleaning [ˈkliːnɪŋ] npulizia
to do the cleaning → fare le pulizie

cleaning تنظيف úklid rengøring Reinigen καθαρισμός limpieza siivous nettoyage čišćenje pulizia 掃除 청소 schoonmaakbeurt rengjøring czyszczenie limpeza уборка städning การทำความสะอาด temizleme sự quét dọn 清洁处理


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You won't forget me, Peter, will you, before spring cleaning time comes?
On bringing him home he resorted to every means of cleaning, and subjected the man to incessant scrubbings.
We're cleaning the ship out,-- cleaning the whole blessed ship out; and overboard you go
 
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