The Collaborative International Dictionary
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.]
Free from dirt or filth; as, clean clothes.
Free from that which is useless or injurious; without defects; as, clean land; clean timber.
Free from awkwardness; not bungling; adroit; dexterous; as, a clean trick; a clean leap over a fence.
Free from errors and vulgarisms; as, a clean style.
-
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. -
Free from moral defilement; sinless; pure.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
--Ps. li. 10That I am whole, and clean, and meet for Heaven
--Tennyson. (Script.) Free from ceremonial defilement.
Free from that which is corrupting to the morals; pure in tone; healthy. ``Lothair is clean.''
--F. Harrison.-
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.