free from dirt; unsoiled; unstained

She bathed and put on a clean dress.

free from foreign or extraneous matter

clean sand.

free from pollution; unadulterated; pure

clean air; clean water.

habitually free of dirt

Cats are considered clean animals.

characterized by a fresh, wholesome quality

the clean smell of pine.

free from all writing or marking

a clean sheet of paper.

having few or no corrections; easily readable

The publisher demanded clean proofs from the printer.

free from roughness or irregularity

He made a clean cut with a razor.

not ornate; gracefully spare; forceful and simple; trim; streamlined

a clean literary style; the clean lines of a ship.

complete; unqualified

a clean break with tradition.

morally pure; innocent; upright; honorable

to lead a clean life.

showing good sportsmanship; fair

a clean fighter.

inoffensive in language or content; without obscenity.

(of a document, record, etc.) bearing no marks of discreditable or unlawful conduct; listing no offenses

a clean driver's license.

Slang .

innocent of any crime.

not having a criminal record.

carrying or containing no evidence of unlawful activity or intent, as controlled substances, unlicensed weapons, or contraband

The agents searched the car for drugs, but it was clean.

not using narcotics.

(of a nuclear weapon) producing little or no radioactive fallout.

not radioactive.

(of a document or financial instrument) free from qualifications or restrictions

a clean bill of lading.

free from defects or flaws

a clean diamond.

free from encumbrances or obstructions.

neatly or evenly made or proportioned; shapely; trim

a clean profile.

made without any unanticipated difficulty or interference

The bank robbers made a clean getaway.

Chiefly Biblical . having no physical or moral blemish or carrying no taboo so as to make impure according to the laws, esp. the dietary or ceremonial laws

a clean animal; clean persons.

dexterously performed; adroit

a clean serve in tennis.

(of a jump over an obstacle) made without touching the obstacle.

Slang . having no direct associations, business interests, etc., that could prejudice one's official acts or decisions

The new governor is clean because he's sold his construction business and doesn't owe political favors to anyone.

Slang . without money or funds.

(of wine) having a taste that is unusually refreshing and smooth.

Nautical . (of an anchorage, harbor, etc.) free of obstructions or hazards ( opposed to foul ).

(of the legs of a horse) free from injury or blemish, as capped hocks, splints, or scars.

Foreign Exchange . (of currency floats) not influenced by exchange-rate manipulation ( opposed to dirty ).

in a clean manner; cleanly

Nobody wants to box with him because he doesn't fight clean.

so as to be clean

This shirt will never wash clean.

Informal . wholly; completely; quite

The sharp carving knife sliced clean through the roast. In a year, he had gone clean through his inheritance.

to make clean

Clean those dirty shoes.

to remove or consume the contents of; empty; clear

She sat down to dinner ravenous and within five minutes had cleaned her plate.

to dry-clean.

to remove the entrails and other inedible parts from (poultry, fish, etc.); dress.

Slang . to take away or win all or almost all the money or possessions of (often fol. by out )

The cards were marked and I got cleaned.

Metallurgy . to remove the seams from (a casting) by filing or grinding.

Philately . to delete intentionally the cancellation from (a postage or revenue stamp).

to perform or undergo a process of cleaning

This kind of fabric cleans easily. Detergents clean better than most soaps.

to get rid of dirt, soil, etc. (often fol. by up )

to spend the morning cleaning.

clean out,

to empty in order to straighten or clean.

to use up; exhaust

He had cleaned out his savings.

Informal . to drive out by force.

to empty or rid (a place) of occupants, contents, etc.

Eager customers cleaned out the store on the first day of the sale. The thief cleaned out the safe.

Slang . to cause to lose all or almost all one's money or possessions.

clean up,

to wash or tidy up.

to rid of undesirable persons or features

They cleaned up the local bars.

to put an end to; finish

to clean up yesterday's chores.

Informal . to make a large profit

They cleaned up in the stock market.

clean full

Nautical .

(of a sail or sails) filled with wind; rap full.

(of a sailing vessel) with all sails full of wind; rap full.

clean house, to wipe out corruption, inefficiency, etc.

as in an organization

It's time for the city government to clean house.

clean up one's act. act ( def. 27 ) .

come clean, Slang . to tell the truth

esp. to admit one's guilt.

verb

clean