clean (klēn)
adj., clean·er, clean·est.

1. Free from dirt, stain, or impurities; unsoiled.
2. 1. Free from foreign matter or pollution; unadulterated: clean air; clean drinking water.
   2. Not infected: a clean wound.
3. 1. Producing relatively little pollution: a clean fuel; a cleaner, more efficient engine.
   2. 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. 1. Not ornate or intricate; spare: "the clean lines and exquisite proportions of early modernism" (Judith Thurman).
   2. 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. 1. Morally pure; virtuous: led a clean life.
    2. 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.
    1. Not carrying concealed weapons or drugs.
    2. Innocent of a suspected crime.
15. Informal.
    1. Free from narcotics addiction.
    2. 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.

1. To eliminate or discard what is undesirable: The scandal forced the company to clean house.

[Middle English clene, from Old English clǣne.]

cleanable clean'a·ble adj.
cleanness clean'ness 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

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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