- free from dirt; unsoiled; unstained: She bathed and put on a clean dress.
- free from foreign or extraneous matter: They filled the new sandbox with clean sand.
- free from pollution; unadulterated; pure: clean air;clean water.
- habitually free of dirt:Cats are considered clean animals.
- characterized by a fresh, wholesome quality: the clean smell of pine.
- free from all writing or marking: a clean sheet of paper.
- having few or no corrections; easily readable: The publisher demanded clean proofs from the printer.
- free from roughness or irregularity: He made a clean cut with a razor.
- not ornate; gracefully spare; forceful and simple; trim; streamlined: a clean literary style;the clean lines of a ship.
- complete; unqualified: She made a clean break from her old habits.
- morally upright; honorable: to lead a clean life.
- showing good sportsmanship; fair: a clean fighter.
- inoffensive in language or content; without obscenity: Is this a clean movie?
- (of a document, record, etc.) bearing no marks of discreditable or unlawful conduct; listing no offenses: a clean driver's license.
- Informal.
- innocent of any crime.
- not having a criminal record.
- carrying or containing no evidence of unlawful activity or intent, such as controlled substances, unlicensed weapons, or contraband: The agents searched the car for drugs, but it was clean.
- not using addictive drugs: He’s been clean for three years now.
- (of a nuclear weapon) producing little or no radioactive fallout.
- not radioactive.
- (of a document or financial instrument) free from qualifications or restrictions: a clean bill of lading.
- free from defects or flaws: a clean diamond.
- free from encumbrances or obstructions.
- (of food) free of synthetic additives, unfamiliar ingredients, excessive amounts of sugar, salt, fat, etc.; not overly processed or refined: We sell only clean ice cream and confections in our cafe.
- neatly or evenly made or proportioned; shapely; trim: a clean profile.
- done without any difficulty or interference: The bank robbers made a clean getaway.
- dexterously performed; adroit: a clean serve in tennis.
- (of a jump over an obstacle) made without touching the obstacle.
- having no direct associations, business interests, etc., that could prejudice one's official acts or decisions: The new governor is clean because he's sold his construction business and doesn't owe political favors to anyone.
- without money or funds.
- (of wine) having a taste that is unusually refreshing and smooth.
- having no physical or moral blemish or carrying no taboo according to religious laws, especially dietary or ceremonial laws: The horse was not a clean animal for the Israelites, and could not be eaten.
- (of an anchorage, harbor, etc.) free of obstructions or hazards (opposed to foul (def. 15)).
- (of the legs of a horse) free from injury or blemish, as capped hocks, splints, or scars.
- (of currency floats) not influenced by exchange-rate manipulation (opposed to dirty (def. 14)).
- in a way that is not dirty, messy, unwholesome, overly complicated, etc.: With practice I’ve learned to write clean and crisp, without flashy ornamentation.After he got out of prison he decided to change his ways and live clean.
- so as to be free of dirt or stains: This shirt will never wash clean.
- wholly; completely; quite: The sharp carving knife sliced clean through the roast.In a year, he had gone clean through his inheritance.
- to make free of dirt, stains, mess, trash, etc.: Clean those dirty shoes.I helped my dad clean the garage.
- to remove or consume the contents of; empty; clear: She sat down to dinner ravenous and within five minutes had cleaned her plate.
- to dry-clean.
- to remove the inedible parts from (poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, etc.): He caught the trout, cleaned it, and grilled it—all in 20 minutes.I’ll clean these strawberries and cut them up.
- to remove the seams from (a casting) by filing or grinding.
- to intentionally delete the cancellation from (a postage or revenue stamp).
- to perform or undergo a process of cleaning: This kind of fabric cleans easily.Detergents clean better than most soaps.
- to get rid of dirt, soil, etc. (often followed by up): to spend the morning cleaning.
- clean out,
- to empty in order to straighten or clean: I cleaned out my desk drawers and threw away a lot of junk.
- to use up; exhaust: He had cleaned out his savings.
- to drive out by force.
- to empty or rid (a place) of occupants, contents, etc.: Eager customers cleaned out the store on the first day of the sale.The thief cleaned out the safe.
- to cause to lose all or almost all one's money or possessions: Gambling eventually cleaned her out.I got cleaned out last night at poker—the cards were marked.
- clean up,
- to wash or tidy up: They came in from the barn and cleaned up for dinner.Clean up this mess in the hallway.
- to be washed or tidied up so as to leave no dirt, stains, mess, etc.: This new jacket of mine cleans up really nicely.The great thing about water-based paints is that they clean up so easily.
- to become more stylishly or formally dressed when needed, as for a social outing or business engagement: Wow, a suit and tie—you clean up pretty good!
- to rid of undesirable persons or features: They cleaned up the local bars.
- to put an end to; finish: to clean up yesterday's chores.
- to make a large profit: They cleaned up in the stock market.
- clean full, Nautical.
- (of a sail or sails) filled with wind; rap full.
- (of a sailing vessel) with all sails full of wind; rap full.
- to wipe out corruption, inefficiency, etc., as in an organization: It's time for the city government to clean house.
- act (def. 29).
- to tell the truth, especially to admit one's guilt: When they offered him a plea bargain, he finally came clean.
- to reduce one’s consumption of processed and refined foods in favor of whole foods: Raising our children to eat clean has been easier than we expected.
- without dirt or other impurities; unsoiled
- without anything in it or on it
- recently washed; fresh
- without extraneous or foreign materials
- without defect, difficulties, or problems
- (of a nuclear weapon) producing little or no radioactive fallout or contamination
- uncontaminated
- (of a wound, etc) having no pus or other sign of infection
- pure; morally sound
- without objectionable language or obscenity
- (of printer's proofs, etc) relatively free from errors; easily readable
- thorough or complete
- dexterous or adroit
- played fairly and without fouls
- simple in design
- causing little turbulence; streamlined
- (of an aircraft) having no projections, such as rockets, flaps, etc, into the airstream
- honourable or respectable
- habitually neat
- (esp of a driving licence) showing or having no record of offences
- slang
- innocent; not guilty
- not carrying illegal drugs, weapons, etc
- nautical (of a vessel)
- having its bottom clean
- having a satisfactory bill of health
- Old Testament
- (of persons) free from ceremonial defilement
- (of animals, birds, and fish) lawful to eat
- morally and spiritually pure
- clean sweep See sweep (def. 33)
- to make or become free of dirt, filth, etc
- to remove in making clean
- to prepare (fish, poultry, etc) for cooking
- in a clean way; cleanly
- (intensifier)
- bowled by a ball that breaks the wicket without hitting the batsman or his bat
- to make a revelation or confession
- the act or an instance of cleaning
