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The Collaborative International Dictionary
A clean bill of health

Clean \Clean\ (kl[=e]n), a. [Compar. Cleaner (kl[=e]n"[~e]r); superl. Cleanest.] [OE. clene, AS. cl[=ae]ne; akin to OHG. chleini pure, neat, graceful, small, G. klein small, and perh. to W. glan clean, pure, bright; all perh. from a primitive, meaning bright, shining. Cf. Glair.]

  1. Free from dirt or filth; as, clean clothes.

  2. Free from that which is useless or injurious; without defects; as, clean land; clean timber.

  3. Free from awkwardness; not bungling; adroit; dexterous; as, a clean trick; a clean leap over a fence.

  4. Free from errors and vulgarisms; as, a clean style.

  5. Free from restraint or neglect; complete; entire.

    When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of corners of thy field.
    --Lev. xxiii. 22.

  6. Free from moral defilement; sinless; pure.

    Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    --Ps. li. 10

    That I am whole, and clean, and meet for Heaven
    --Tennyson.

  7. (Script.) Free from ceremonial defilement.

  8. Free from that which is corrupting to the morals; pure in tone; healthy. ``Lothair is clean.''
    --F. Harrison.

  9. Well-proportioned; shapely; as, clean limbs.

    A clean bill of health, a certificate from the proper authority that a ship is free from infection.

    Clean breach. See under Breach, n., 4.

    To make a clean breast. See under Breast.