clean

drugfree, not having used recreational drugs

head

clean (neuter clean, plural and definite singular attributive clean)

clean (neuter)
clean (attributive definite singular)
clean (attributive plural)


clean

Are these dishes clean?
 Your room is finally clean!
For a baby, happiness is a full bottle and a clean diaper.

Then his sallow face brightened, for the hall had been carefully furnished, and was very clean. There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter II, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC:

Very fine, well-sorted, clean sand with no shells.

1964, Coastal Engineering Research Center (U.S.), Technical Memorandum - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Engineering Research Center, page 69:

Scientists believe they have identified the world’s cleanest air, free from particles caused by human activity, located over the Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica.

2020 June 2, Amy Woodyatt, “Scientists say they have found the cleanest air on Earth”, in CNN:

Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled.

clean steel

(of metal) Having relatively few impurities.

Insert a clean swab into your nose.

"Serious as cognitohazard." Lillihammer danced down the corridor towards them, doing little pirouettes and leaping from toe to toe. "Reuben Wirth no longer exists. Gonna have to get Forsythe to do that brain scan to make sure I'm clean, but otherwise yeah. Poof."

2023 October 14, HarryBlank, “Face Time”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 2024-05-23:

Free of contamination, (unwanted) germs, infection, or disease.

I want to make sure my fiancé is clean before we are married.

sexually transmitted disease
sexually transmitted disease

Devoid of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Our team won, but it wasn't clean.

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

Free of imperfections, blemishes, or defects.

(sports, for example, professional wrestling, slang) Of a victory or performance: without any blemishes such as submission holds, disqualification, interference, etc.

Free of imperfections, blemishes, or defects.

(climbing, of a route) Ascended without falling.

clean land

clean timber

Free from that which is useless or injurious; without defects.

Put a clean sheet of paper into the printer.

Our kids can watch this movie because it is clean.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 51:10:

Ah! let me knot be fool'd, sweet saints. I trust / That I am whole, and clean, and meet for Heaven.

1833 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, “St. Simeon Stylites”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 63:

I do not think there is any member in this House who will not agree that that is the clean thing to do. Any member sitting on the Government benches will admit in private that that is the proper course for members who break faith.

1914, Parliamentary Debates, volume 168, New Zealand, page 195:

Pure, especially morally or religiously.

go clean

I've been clean this time for eight months.

Ten months sober, I must admit
Just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it
Ten months older, I won't give in
Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it

2014 October 27, Taylor Swift, Imogen Heap, “Clean (Taylor's Version)”, in 1989 (Taylor's Version), performed by Taylor Swift, published 2023 October 27:

Free of immorality or criminality.
Not using drugs or alcohol.

It was my dream to be a Soviet spy. The vetting process started, and I was “clean”: no Jews in either my background or my wife's, no relatives abroad, already a member of the Soviet Communist Party, high marks on exams, three foreign languages, no dissident inclinations[…]

2009 May 26, John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr, Alexander Vassiliev, Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America, Yale University Press, →ISBN:

"If the Tramells hadn't passed away, we still wouldn't know. The background check was clean." "How can it be clean, for fuck's sake?" I knocked back the whiskey in one swallow. "Eva's mother used Monica's name, birthdate, and family history, but she never opened a line of credit, which is how most identity theft is discovered."

2016 April 5, Sylvia Day, One with You, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN:

Unlike you, I’ve never caused any accidents — my record is still clean!

Free from (or showing no signs of) corrupt, unlawful, and/or sinister conduct or connections (and (of criminal, driving, etc. records) therefore without restrictions or penalties).

I'm clean, officer. You can go ahead and search me if you want.

(informal) Not in possession of weapons or contraband such as drugs.

Free of immorality or criminality.
(informal) Devoid of profanity.

Free of immorality or criminality.
Devoid of profanity.

We are currently clean on OPSEC.

"[Are you sure the] room is clean?" "As a whistle. It's swept at irregular intervals every week." "That still leaves time to plant a bug[…]"

1989, Gayle Rivers, The Killing House, Jove Books, →ISBN:

Free of infiltration by covert listening or recording devices (bugs), enemy spies, etc.

The cargo hold is clean.

Mister, I want to see a clean dinner plate or there'll be no dessert for you.

I'll need a sharper knife to make clean cuts.

a clean leap over a fence

a clean left-footed shot into the top corner of the goal

clean energy

clean coal

clean tourism

In a press release, CARB expanded on their decision. "The LCFS reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by setting a declining carbon intensity target for transportation fuels used in California; producers that don't meet established benchmarks buy credits from those that do. This system has generated $4 billion in annual private sector investment toward a cleaner transportation sector."

2024 November 8, Luz Pena, “California's gas prices could have major increase with passing of new fuel standards”, in ABC7 News:

That does not damage the environment (as much as some alternative).

(aerodynamics) Allowing an uninterrupted flow over surfaces, without protrusions such as racks or landing gear.

(aviation) Having the undercarriage and flaps in the up position.

clean limbs

Wow, dude, those are some clean shoes ya got there!

a clean sweep

When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of corners of thy field.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 23:22:

The clean thrill of getting the right answer gave me a sense of efficacy and rootedness. Even so, on tests at school I rarely got good grades, because I had a terrible habit of not showing my work.

2023 July 18, Arianne Shahvisi, Arguing for a Better World: How Philosophy Can Help Us Fight for Social Justice, Penguin, →ISBN, page 1:

Free from restraint; complete; entire; total; utter; pure.

en-adj

clean (comparative cleaner, superlative cleanest)

cleaner (comparative)
cleanest (superlative)

skoon

not having used mind-altering or mood-changing substances

sileä

allowing an uninterrupted flow over surfaces

skoon

not having sexually transmitted diseases

skoon

not in possession of weapons or contraband such as drugs

From Middle English clene, clane, from Old English clǣne (“clean, pure”), from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *glēy- (“gleaming”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to gleam”). Cognate with Scots clean (“absolute, pure, clear, empty”) and clene, clane (“clean”), North Frisian klien (“small”), West Frisian klien (“small”), klean (“clean”), Dutch klein (“small”), Low German kleen (“small”), German klein (“small”), Swedish klen (“weak, feeble, delicate”), Icelandic klénn (“poor, feeble, petty, snug, puny, cheesy, lame”).

cog

Scots clean (“absolute, pure, clear, empty”)

poor, feeble, petty, snug, puny, cheesy, lame


clean

This place needs a clean.

Give the pan a thorough clean.

(weightlifting) The first part of the event clean and jerk in which the weight is brought from the ground to the shoulders.

When people complained the songs were too hard, Kyle's clean vocals could bail out the band. Adding cleans would set off a chain reaction though - Kyle's crisp, clear presence could be seen as "betraying" the raw assault that Mike inflicts on the fans with his screams and growls.

2014, T/James Reagan, Leeds House, Amazon Digital Services LLC, →ISBN, page 314:

Vocalist Kaan is impeccable in his performance engaging with the crowd and soulfully executing both searing screams and hauntingly melodic cleans.

2016, Jay Shields, “Tech Fest 2016”, in Fraser Mutch, editor, Elite Online Mag, number 78, page 155:

The band's more recent output has seen a small amount of cleans find their way in, but for the most part, the Pennsylvania boys rely on the kind of devastating vocal delivery that can be heard on monumental career highlights such as "Marianas Trench."

2023 April 17, Jake Richardson, “10 Best Clean Singers in Metalcore”, in Loudwire, archived from the original on 2024-08-17:

(in the plural, metal music) Clear vocals, contrasted with death growls and screams.

изтласкване

first part of "clean and jerk" weightlifting


clean

Can you clean the windows today?

(transitive) To remove dirt from a place or object.

Clean your room right now!

(transitive) To tidy up, make a place neat.

(transitive, climbing) To remove equipment from a climbing route after it was previously lead climbed.

She just likes to clean. That’s why I married her.

(intransitive) To make things clean in general.

(transitive, computing) To remove unnecessary files, etc. from (a directory, etc.).

(intransitive, curling) To brush the ice lightly in front of a moving rock to remove any debris and ensure a correct line; less vigorous than a sweep.

(manga fandom slang) To purge a raw of any blemishes caused by the scanning process such as brown tinting and poor color contrast.

The fishmonger cleaned the mackerel.

To remove guts and/or scales of a butchered animal.

en-verb

clean (third-person singular simple present cleans, present participle cleaning, simple past and past participle cleaned)

cleans (present singular third-person)
cleaning (participle present)
cleaned (participle past)
cleaned (past)

pastroj

(transitive) to remove dirt from a place or object

(kevyesti) harjata

(intransitive) to brush lightly in front of a curling rock


clean

He was stabbed clean through.

You must be clean mad.

The wave went clean over the old lighthouse.

Moreover, I find there are some Words now in French which are turned to a Countersense […] Cocu is taken for one whose Wife is light, and hath made him a passive Cuckold; whereas clean contrary, Cocu, which is the Cuckow, doth use to lay her Eggs in another Bird's Nest.

1655, James Howell, “To the Right Honourable the Earl of Clare”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], →OCLC:

So, since all my pains in his direction were clean thrown away, there was nothing left for me but to scurry back to Marjorie, — so I scurried, and I found the house empty, no one there, and Marjorie gone.

A feat sometimes achieved by outstanding local athletes is to throw a cricket ball clean over the top [of the viaduct].

1951 October, William B. Stocks, “A Few Miles from Huddersfield”, in Railway Magazine, page 701:

The huge square box, parquet-floored and high-ceilinged, had been arranged to display a suite of bedroom furniture designed and made in the halcyon days of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when modish taste was just due to go clean out of fashion for the best part of the next hundred years.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:


clean

Nenas Image ist so clean, daß ein paar Zeitschriften nun nach dunklen Punkten suchen und sie erfinden, weil nichts zu finden ist.

1984 March 26, “99 Luftballons und das Chaos der Gefühle”, in Der Spiegel, number 13:

de-adj

clean (strong nominative masculine singular cleaner, comparative cleaner, superlative am cleansten)

cleaner (masculine nominative singular strong)
cleaner (comparative)
am cleansten (superlative)
clean (masculine predicative singular)
clean (feminine predicative singular)
clean (neuter predicative singular)
clean (plural predicative)
cleaner (masculine nominative singular strong without-article)
cleane (feminine nominative singular strong without-article)
cleanes (neuter nominative singular strong without-article)
cleane (nominative plural strong without-article)
cleanen (genitive masculine singular strong without-article)
cleaner (feminine genitive singular strong without-article)
cleanen (genitive neuter singular strong without-article)
cleaner (genitive plural strong without-article)
cleanem (dative masculine singular strong without-article)
cleaner (dative feminine singular strong without-article)
cleanem (dative neuter singular strong without-article)
cleanen (dative plural strong without-article)
cleanen (accusative masculine singular strong without-article)
cleane (accusative feminine singular strong without-article)
cleanes (accusative neuter singular strong without-article)
cleane (accusative plural strong without-article)
der cleane (definite includes-article masculine nominative singular weak)
die cleane (definite feminine includes-article nominative singular weak)
das cleane (definite includes-article neuter nominative singular weak)
die cleanen (definite includes-article nominative plural weak)
des cleanen (definite genitive includes-article masculine singular weak)
der cleanen (definite feminine genitive includes-article singular weak)
des cleanen (definite genitive includes-article neuter singular weak)
der cleanen (definite genitive includes-article plural weak)
dem cleanen (dative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
der cleanen (dative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
dem cleanen (dative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
den cleanen (dative definite includes-article plural weak)
den cleanen (accusative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
die cleane (accusative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
das cleane (accusative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
die cleanen (accusative definite includes-article plural weak)
ein cleaner (includes-article indefinite masculine mixed nominative singular)
eine cleane (feminine includes-article indefinite mixed nominative singular)
ein cleanes (includes-article indefinite mixed neuter nominative singular)
cleanen (indefinite mixed nominative plural)
keine cleanen (includes-article indefinite mixed negative nominative plural)
eines cleanen (genitive includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer cleanen (feminine genitive includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
eines cleanen (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
cleanen (genitive indefinite mixed plural)
keiner cleanen (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einem cleanen (dative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer cleanen (dative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
einem cleanen (dative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
cleanen (dative indefinite mixed plural)
keinen cleanen (dative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einen cleanen (accusative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
eine cleane (accusative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
ein cleanes (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
cleanen (accusative indefinite mixed plural)
keine cleanen (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
cleaner (comparative masculine predicative singular)
cleaner (comparative feminine predicative singular)
cleaner (comparative neuter predicative singular)
cleaner (comparative plural predicative)
cleanerer (comparative masculine nominative singular strong without-article)
cleanere (comparative feminine nominative singular strong without-article)
cleaneres (comparative neuter nominative singular strong without-article)
cleanere (comparative nominative plural strong without-article)
cleaneren (comparative genitive masculine singular strong without-article)
cleanerer (comparative feminine genitive singular strong without-article)
cleaneren (comparative genitive neuter singular strong without-article)
cleanerer (comparative genitive plural strong without-article)
cleanerem (comparative dative masculine singular strong without-article)
cleanerer (comparative dative feminine singular strong without-article)
cleanerem (comparative dative neuter singular strong without-article)
cleaneren (comparative dative plural strong without-article)
cleaneren (accusative comparative masculine singular strong without-article)
cleanere (accusative comparative feminine singular strong without-article)
cleaneres (accusative comparative neuter singular strong without-article)
cleanere (accusative comparative plural strong without-article)
der cleanere (comparative definite includes-article masculine nominative singular weak)
die cleanere (comparative definite feminine includes-article nominative singular weak)
das cleanere (comparative definite includes-article neuter nominative singular weak)
die cleaneren (comparative definite includes-article nominative plural weak)
des cleaneren (comparative definite genitive includes-article masculine singular weak)
der cleaneren (comparative definite feminine genitive includes-article singular weak)
des cleaneren (comparative definite genitive includes-article neuter singular weak)
der cleaneren (comparative definite genitive includes-article plural weak)
dem cleaneren (comparative dative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
der cleaneren (comparative dative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
dem cleaneren (comparative dative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
den cleaneren (comparative dative definite includes-article plural weak)
den cleaneren (accusative comparative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
die cleanere (accusative comparative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
das cleanere (accusative comparative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
die cleaneren (accusative comparative definite includes-article plural weak)
ein cleanerer (comparative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed nominative singular)
eine cleanere (comparative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed nominative singular)
ein cleaneres (comparative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter nominative singular)
cleaneren (comparative indefinite mixed nominative plural)
keine cleaneren (comparative includes-article indefinite mixed negative nominative plural)
eines cleaneren (comparative genitive includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer cleaneren (comparative feminine genitive includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
eines cleaneren (comparative genitive includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
cleaneren (comparative genitive indefinite mixed plural)
keiner cleaneren (comparative genitive includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einem cleaneren (comparative dative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer cleaneren (comparative dative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
einem cleaneren (comparative dative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
cleaneren (comparative dative indefinite mixed plural)
keinen cleaneren (comparative dative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einen cleaneren (accusative comparative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
eine cleanere (accusative comparative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
ein cleaneres (accusative comparative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
cleaneren (accusative comparative indefinite mixed plural)
keine cleaneren (accusative comparative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
am cleansten (masculine predicative singular superlative)
am cleansten (feminine predicative singular superlative)
am cleansten (neuter predicative singular superlative)
am cleansten (plural predicative superlative)
cleanster (masculine nominative singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanste (feminine nominative singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanstes (neuter nominative singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanste (nominative plural strong superlative without-article)
cleansten (genitive masculine singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanster (feminine genitive singular strong superlative without-article)
cleansten (genitive neuter singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanster (genitive plural strong superlative without-article)
cleanstem (dative masculine singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanster (dative feminine singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanstem (dative neuter singular strong superlative without-article)
cleansten (dative plural strong superlative without-article)
cleansten (accusative masculine singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanste (accusative feminine singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanstes (accusative neuter singular strong superlative without-article)
cleanste (accusative plural strong superlative without-article)
der cleanste (definite includes-article masculine nominative singular superlative weak)
die cleanste (definite feminine includes-article nominative singular superlative weak)
das cleanste (definite includes-article neuter nominative singular superlative weak)
die cleansten (definite includes-article nominative plural superlative weak)
des cleansten (definite genitive includes-article masculine singular superlative weak)
der cleansten (definite feminine genitive includes-article singular superlative weak)
des cleansten (definite genitive includes-article neuter singular superlative weak)
der cleansten (definite genitive includes-article plural superlative weak)
dem cleansten (dative definite includes-article masculine singular superlative weak)
der cleansten (dative definite feminine includes-article singular superlative weak)
dem cleansten (dative definite includes-article neuter singular superlative weak)
den cleansten (dative definite includes-article plural superlative weak)
den cleansten (accusative definite includes-article masculine singular superlative weak)
die cleanste (accusative definite feminine includes-article singular superlative weak)
das cleanste (accusative definite includes-article neuter singular superlative weak)
die cleansten (accusative definite includes-article plural superlative weak)
ein cleanster (includes-article indefinite masculine mixed nominative singular superlative)
eine cleanste (feminine includes-article indefinite mixed nominative singular superlative)
ein cleanstes (includes-article indefinite mixed neuter nominative singular superlative)
cleansten (indefinite mixed nominative plural superlative)
keine cleansten (includes-article indefinite mixed negative nominative plural superlative)
eines cleansten (genitive includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular superlative)
einer cleansten (feminine genitive includes-article indefinite mixed singular superlative)
eines cleansten (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular superlative)
cleansten (genitive indefinite mixed plural superlative)
keiner cleansten (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural superlative)
einem cleansten (dative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular superlative)
einer cleansten (dative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular superlative)
einem cleansten (dative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular superlative)
cleansten (dative indefinite mixed plural superlative)
keinen cleansten (dative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural superlative)
einen cleansten (accusative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular superlative)
eine cleanste (accusative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular superlative)
ein cleanstes (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular superlative)
cleansten (accusative indefinite mixed plural superlative)
keine cleansten (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural superlative)

Borrowed from English clean. Doublet of klein.


clean

Ta dooinney ny ghaa leaystey clean nagh vel bentyn da hene.

There’s a man or two rocking the cradle of another man’s child.

head

clean m (genitive singular clean, plural cleanyn)

clean (genitive singular)
cleanyn (plural)
clean
chlean
glean


clean

Squalius cephalus
Squalius cephalus#Translingual

cleni (plural)
clean (accusative indefinite nominative singular)
cleanul (accusative definite nominative singular)
cleni (accusative indefinite nominative singular)
clenii (accusative definite nominative plural)
clean (indefinite singular)
cleanului (definite singular)
cleni (indefinite singular)
clenilor (definite plural)
cleanule (singular vocative)
clenilor (vocative)

Borrowed from Bulgarian клян (kljan), from Proto-Slavic *klěnь.