Synonyms for cleaning

Grammar : Noun

Spell : klee-ning

Phonetic Transcription : ˈkli nɪŋ

Top 10 synonyms for cleaning

Other synonyms for the word cleaning

Définition of cleaning

Origin : Old English clæne "free from dirt or filth; pure, chaste, innocent; open, in the open," of beasts, "ritually safe to eat," from West Germanic *klainoz "clear, pure" (cf. Old Saxon kleni "dainty, delicate," Old Frisian klene "small," Old High German kleini "delicate, fine, small," German klein "small;" English preserves the original Germanic sense), from PIE root *gel- "bright, gleaming" (cf. Greek glene "eyeball," Old Irish gel "bright").
"Largely replaced by clear, pure in the higher senses" [Weekley], but as a verb (mid-15c.) it has largely usurped what once belonged to cleanse. Meaning "whole, entire" is from c.1300 (clean sweep in the figurative sense is from 1821). Sense of "innocent" is from c.1300; that of "not lewd" is from 1867; that of "not carrying anything forbidden" is from 1938; that of "free of drug addiction" is from 1950s. To come clean "confess" is from 1919, American English.

noun cleansing

Example sentences :

He preferred to do this, rather than to go at once to work at the sweeping and cleaning.
Extract from : « Rico and Wiseli » by Johanna Spyri

Hubert was occupied the whole forenoon in cleaning the front of the old building.
Extract from : « The Dream » by Emile Zola

Then, oiling and cleaning it, he took some cartridges and set up a mark to shoot at.
Extract from : « Frank Roscoe's Secret » by Allen Chapman

All you know is that Fyles wants to send me down, by way of cleaning up this valley.
Extract from : « The Law-Breakers » by Ridgwell Cullum

Recreation: Filling his fountain pen or cleaning typewriter.
Extract from : « Who Was Who: 5000 B. C. to Date » by Anonymous

The seasons for cleaning up are usually determined by the danger of theft.
Extract from : « Hittel on Gold Mines and Mining » by John S. Hittell

The charwoman was cleaning the kitchen and now she's out in the hall.
Extract from : « People of Position » by Stanley Portal Hyatt

He lived on his steps, cleaning up his backgrounds until dark.
Extract from : « His Masterpiece » by Emile Zola

I did this from life at a friend's house, and I am cleaning it a bit.'
Extract from : « His Masterpiece » by Emile Zola

Hence they may be employed in cleaning books which have been defaced by writing on the margin, without impairing the text.
Extract from : « The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, » by Mary Eaton

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019