clean
verb/kliːn/
/kliːn/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they clean | /kliːn/ /kliːn/ |
| he / she / it cleans | /kliːnz/ /kliːnz/ |
| past simple cleaned | /kliːnd/ /kliːnd/ |
| past participle cleaned | /kliːnd/ /kliːnd/ |
| -ing form cleaning | /ˈkliːnɪŋ/ /ˈkliːnɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to remove the dirt or dust from something
- I spent all day cooking and cleaning.
- clean something to clean the windows/bath/floor/house
- His mother told him to clean his room.
- He gently cleaned the wound and dressed it.
- Have you cleaned your teeth?
- The villa is cleaned twice a week.
Extra ExamplesTopics Houses and homesa1- Ceramic tiles can be easily cleaned.
- Clean the glass with a soft cloth.
- I clean the house thoroughly once a week.
- She wiped her foot to clean away the blood.
- The freshly cleaned windows sparkled.
- This product cleans baths very effectively.
- Your shoes need cleaning!
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- effectively
- well
- easily
- …
- from
- off
- with
- …
- freshly cleaned
- need cleaning
- [intransitive] to become clean
- This oven cleans easily (= is easy to clean).
- [transitive] (also dry-clean)clean something to clean clothes using chemicals instead of water
- This coat is filthy. I'll have it cleaned.
Synonyms cleancleanwash ▪ rinse ▪ cleanse ▪ dry-cleanThese words all mean to remove dirt from something, especially by using water and/or soap.clean to remove dirt or dust from something, especially by using water or chemicals:- The villa is cleaned twice a week.
- Have you cleaned your teeth?
- This coat is filthy. I’ll have it cleaned (= dry-cleaned)
- He quickly washed his hands and face.
- These jeans need washing.
- Make sure you rinse all the soap out.
- to clean/wash/rinse/cleanse something in/with something
- to clean/wash/rinse something from something
- to clean/wash/cleanse a wound
- to clean/wash the car/floor
- to wash/rinse your hair
- to have something cleaned/washed/dry-cleaned
- [transitive] clean something to remove the inside parts of a fish, chicken, etc. before you cook it
- Clean the fish and remove the backbone.
Word OriginOld English clǣne, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German klein ‘small’.
Idioms
See clean in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee clean in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishclean somebody's clock (North American English, informal)
- to defeat or do better than somebody at something
- She really cleaned his clock in that debate.
- to hit somebody or beat them in a fight
- There was a fight and my grandfather cleaned the guy's clock.
clean house (North American English)
- to remove people or things that are not necessary or wanted
- The new manager said he wanted to clean house.
- to make your house clean
clean up your act
- (informal) to start behaving in a moral or responsible way
- He cleaned up his act and came off drugs.
Check pronunciation:
clean