clean (kl?n)adj. clean·er, clean·est 1. Free from dirt, stain, or impurities; unsoiled: a clean kitchen floor; clean clothes.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 out1. 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 up1. 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 cl?ne.]clean?a·ble adj.clean?ness n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.clean (kli?n) adj1. without dirt or other impurities; unsoiled2. without anything in it or on it: a clean page. 3. recently washed; fresh4. without extraneous or foreign materials5. without defect, difficulties, or problems: a clean test flight. 6. (Nuclear Physics) a. (of a nuclear weapon) producing little or no radioactive fallout or contaminationb. uncontaminated. Compare dirty117. (Medicine) (of a wound, etc) having no pus or other sign of infection8. pure; morally sound9. without objectionable language or obscenity: a clean joke. 10. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (of printer’s proofs, etc) relatively free from errors; easily readable: clean copy. 11. thorough or complete: a clean break. 12. dexterous or adroit: a clean throw. 13. (General Sporting Terms) sport played fairly and without fouls14. simple in design: a ship’s clean lines. 15. (Aeronautics) aeronautics causing little turbulence; streamlined16. (Aeronautics) (of an aircraft) having no projections, such as rockets, flaps, etc, into the airstream17. honourable or respectable18. habitually neat19. (esp of a driving licence) showing or having no record of offences20. slang a. innocent; not guiltyb. not carrying illegal drugs, weapons, etc21. (Nautical Terms) nautical (of a vessel)a. having its bottom cleanb. having a satisfactory bill of health22. (Bible) Old Testament a. (of persons) free from ceremonial defilementb. (of animals, birds, and fish) lawful to eat23. (Bible) New Testament morally and spiritually pure24. clean sweep See sweep33vb25. to make or become free of dirt, filth, etc: the stove cleans easily. 26. (tr) to remove in making clean: to clean marks off the wall. 27. (Cookery) (tr) to prepare (fish, poultry, etc) for cooking: to clean a chicken. adv28. in a clean way; cleanly29. not standard (intensifier): clean forgotten; clean dead. 30. (Cricket) clean bowled cricket bowled by a ball that breaks the wicket without hitting the batsman or his bat31. come clean informal to make a revelation or confessionnthe act or an instance of cleaning: he gave his shoes a clean. [Old English cl?ne; related to Old Frisian kl?ne small, neat, Old High German kleini] ?cleanable adj ?cleanness nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014clean (klin) adj.andadv. clean?er, clean?est, 1. free from dirt; not soiled or stained: a clean dress. 2. free from foreign or extraneous matter; pure: clean sound. 3. free from pollution or pollutants: clean air; clean energy. 4. characterized by a fresh, wholesome quality. 5. having few or no corrections; easily readable: The printer submitted clean proofs. 6. free from roughness or irregularity: He made a clean cut with a razor. 7. not ornate; gracefully spare; trim: the clean lines of a ship. 8. complete; unqualified: a clean break with tradition. 9. morally pure; innocent; honorable: to lead a clean life. 10. showing good sportsmanship; fair: a clean fighter. 11. inoffensive in language or content; without obscenity. 12. (of a document, record, etc.) bearing no marks of discreditable or unlawful conduct; listing no offenses. 13. Slang. a. innocent of any crime. b. not having a criminal record. c. carrying or containing no evidence of unlawful activity or intent. d. not using narcotics. 14. a. not radioactive. b. (of a nuclear weapon) producing little or no radioactive fallout. 15. (of a document or financial instrument) free from qualifications or restrictions: a clean bill of lading. 16. free from defects or flaws: a clean diamond. 17. free from encumbrances or obstructions. 18. made without any difficulty or interference: a clean getaway. 19. having no blemish so as to make impure according to dietary or ritual law. 20. dexterously performed: a clean serve in tennis. 21. Slang. without money or funds. adv. 22. in a clean manner; cleanly. 23. so as to be clean: This shirt will never wash clean. 24. Informal. wholly; completely; quite: The bullet passed clean through the wall. v.t. 25. to make clean or clear. 26. to dry-clean. 27. to remove the entrails and other inedible parts from (poultry, fish, etc.); dress. 28. Slang. to take away or win all or almost all the money or possessions of: That last bet cleaned me out. v.i. 29. to perform or undergo a process of cleaning. 30. clean out, a. to empty in order to clean. b. to empty; deplete; evacuate. 31. clean up, a. to wash or tidy up. b. to rid of undesirable persons or features. c. to make a large profit. Idioms: come clean, Slang. to tell the truth, esp. to admit one’s guilt. [before 900; Middle English clene, Old English cl?ne pure, clear, c. Old Saxon kl?ni, cleini, Old High German kleini] clean?a?ble, adj. clean?ness, n. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.cleanPast participle: cleanedGerund: cleaningImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativecleancleanPresentI cleanyou cleanhe/she/it cleanswe cleanyou cleanthey cleanPreteriteI cleanedyou cleanedhe/she/it cleanedwe cleanedyou cleanedthey cleanedPresent ContinuousI am cleaningyou are cleaninghe/she/it is cleaningwe are cleaningyou are cleaningthey are cleaningPresent PerfectI have cleanedyou have cleanedhe/she/it has cleanedwe have cleanedyou have cleanedthey have cleanedPast ContinuousI was cleaningyou were cleaninghe/she/it was cleaningwe were cleaningyou were cleaningthey were cleaningPast PerfectI had cleanedyou had cleanedhe/she/it had cleanedwe had cleanedyou had cleanedthey had cleanedFutureI will cleanyou will cleanhe/she/it will cleanwe will cleanyou will cleanthey will cleanFuture PerfectI will have cleanedyou will have cleanedhe/she/it will have cleanedwe will have cleanedyou will have cleanedthey will have cleanedFuture ContinuousI will be cleaningyou will be cleaninghe/she/it will be cleaningwe will be cleaningyou will be cleaningthey will be cleaningPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been cleaningyou have been cleaninghe/she/it has been cleaningwe have been cleaningyou have been cleaningthey have been cleaningFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been cleaningyou will have been cleaninghe/she/it will have been cleaningwe will have been cleaningyou will have been cleaningthey will have been cleaningPast Perfect ContinuousI had been cleaningyou had been cleaninghe/she/it had been cleaningwe had been cleaningyou had been cleaningthey had been cleaningConditionalI would cleanyou would cleanhe/she/it would cleanwe would cleanyou would cleanthey would cleanPast ConditionalI would have cleanedyou would have cleanedhe/she/it would have cleanedwe would have cleanedyou would have cleanedthey would have cleanedCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011