claw
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out of wood: a claw hammer 4 have/get one's claws
in(to) a) to show jealousy or strong dislike of (someone),
especially by saying unpleasant things about them b) to try
to trap, especially in order to marry
claw² v [I(at);T] to tear, pull, take hold of etc, (as if) with
claws: The cat clawed a hole in my stocking/clawed at the leg
of the table. | She clawed her way to the top of the political
ladder.
claw sthg. ⇔ back phr v [T] 1 to get back with great
difficulty or effort: Through aggressive advertising the com-
pany managed to claw back its share of the market. 2 especially
BrE (of a government) to get back (money given to the public
in tax cuts) by means of increases in other forms of tax
clay /kleɪ/ n [U] heavy firm earth that is soft when wet but
becomes hard when baked at a high temperature, from
which bricks, pots etc are made → see also FEET OF CLAY
—ey /'kleɪɪ/ adj: clayey soil
Clay, Cas·si·us /'kæsɪəs/ the former name of Muhammad
ALI
clay·more /'kleɪmɔː/ n a large sword used in former times
in the Scottish Highlands
clay pigeon n a plate-shaped piece of baked clay thrown up
into the air to be shot at in the sport of clay pigeon shooting
clean¹ /kliːn/ adj 1 free from dirt: Are your hands clean? | a
spotlessly clean room | Sweep the floor clean. | I changed into a
clean shirt. 2 free from bacteria or anything impure: clean
drinking water | clean energy (=energy produced in a way
that does not cause POLLUTION) 3 free from RADIOACTIVE
FALLOUT: They say the nuclear power station here is com-
pletely clean. 4 not yet used; fresh: a clean piece of
paper 5 morally or sexually pure: Don't worry about it; it's
all good clean fun! | a clean joke (=one not concerned with
sex) 6 not disobeying rules or laws; fair or honest: a clean
fight | She has a clean record. (=is not a criminal) | a clean
driving licence | All the presidential candidates fought a clean
campaign. 7 having a smooth edge or surface; even; regular:
a clean cut | the aircraft's clean lines | (fig.) to make a clean
break with the past 8 [F] infml having no hidden weapons,
illegal drugs etc: The police searched him but he was
clean. 9 a clean bill of health a favourable report on the
health of a person or the satisfactory condition of a
machine, organization etc: The factory was later given a
clean bill of health by the inspector. 10 come clean infml to
admit your guilt or tell the (especially unpleasant) truth:
Why don't you come clean about your involvement in all this?
→ see also CLEANLY, make a clean breast of (BREAST)
—ness n [U] The cleanness of his room surprised me.
clean² v 1 [I;T] to (cause to) become clean, especially by
rubbing and often without water: Your shoes need cleaning. |
to clean one's nails/one's teeth/the windows | to clean marks
off the table → see also DRY-CLEAN, SPRING-CLEAN 2 [T] to
cut out the inside parts of the body from (birds and animals
that are to be eaten) → compare EVISCERATE
To clean a room and/or the things in it, you sweep
the floor using a brush with a long handle. You brush the
dirt off things using a small brush. You dust surfaces using
a soft cloth. You polish wood or metal surfaces by
rubbing them with a cloth and sometimes a special liquid.
You scrub something, especially a floor, by rubbing it hard
with a short stiff brush and water and usually soap. You
mop a floor with water, soap, and a mop (=a tool with a
long handle and a soft end). You wipe a surface by
rubbing it with a damp cloth. You wash things with soap
and water. You vacuum or hoover (British English) with a
special machine that sucks up dust and dirt from the
carpet. → see also WASH (USAGE)
clean sthg./sbdy. ⇔ out phr v [T] 1 to make (the inside of a
room, box etc) clean and tidy: She cleaned out the rabbit's
hutch. 2 infml a) to take all the money of: If we have to get
the car repaired, we'll be completely cleaned out. b) to steal
everything from (a place): The thieves cleaned out the store.
clean up phr v 1 [I;T(= clean sthg. ⇔ up)] to clean thoroughly
and remove anything unwanted: It's your turn to clean (the
kitchen) up. | Clean up this mess at once. | (fig.) The new mayor
has promised to clean up the town by getting rid of all the
criminals. 2 [I] infml to gain (a large amount of money) as
profit: We really cleaned up at the races today. → see also
CLEANUP
clean³ n [S] an act of cleaning: Give the windows/your shoes
a good clean.
clean⁴ adv 1 completely: I clean forgot it was her birthday. |
[+adv/prep] The bullet went clean through his arm. | The bank
robbers got clean away. (=escaped easily) 2 clean bowled
(in cricket) bowled (BOWL) by a ball which does not touch the
BAT
clean-cut adj 1 well shaped; regular: a clean-cut hair-
style 2 neat and clean in appearance; PRESENTABLE: a clean-
cut college boy
clean·er /'kliːnər/ n 1 a person whose job is cleaning
offices, houses etc 2 a machine, apparatus, or substance
used in cleaning
clean·er's BrE || cleaners AmE /'kliːnəz||-nərz/ n [theS] 1 a
DRY CLEANER'S 2 take someone to the cleaner's infml to
cause someone to lose all their money or possessions,
especially by dishonesty
clean·ing /'kliːnɪŋ/ n [U] a process in which you clean other
people's houses, offices etc: the cleaning | Liz comes on
Thursday to do the cleaning.
'cleaning lady n a woman who works as a cleaner in a
house, office, or public building: She has a cleaning lady who
comes in twice a week.
clean-limbed /ˌkliːn ˈlɪmd/ adj apprec or humor (especially of
a young man) tall, well-built, and active-looking
clean·li·ness /'klenlɪnɪs/ n [U] 1 habitual cleanness: high
standards of cleanliness 2 cleanliness is next to godliness
the belief that you need to keep your body clean in order to
be a good and religious person. This phrase is connected
especially with PURITAN ideas about religion and behaviour.
→ see also PURITAN
clean·ly /'kliːnli/ adv in a clean manner (especially CLEAN¹):
The branch snapped cleanly in two. | The voting was split
cleanly along party lines.
cleanse /klenz/ v [T] fml 1 to make (a cut, wound, or your
skin) clean or pure: The nurse cleansed the wound before
stitching it. 2 [oft] to make morally pure or free from guilt:
He asked God to cleanse him of his sins.
cleans·er /'klenzər/ n [C;U] a substance, such as a chemical
liquid or powder, used for cleaning: Always use a gentle
cleanser to remove make-up from your face.
clean·'shaven adj with no hair on the lower part of the
face: He used to have a moustache and beard, but now he's
clean-shaven.
clean·'sweep n [C usually sing.] 1 a complete removal or
change: The company chairman has made a clean sweep and
replaced his entire management team. 2 a complete victory:
The race was a clean sweep for Germany – they finished first,
second, and third.
clean·up /'kliːnʌp/ n 1 [S] the act of cleaning thoroughly:
The cleanup of the oil spill took months. 2 [C] slang, especially
AmE a very large profit
clear¹ /klɪər/ adj 1 easy to see through: clear glass 2 free
from anything that marks or darkens: The sun shone out of a
clear sky. (=with no clouds) | clear eyes | clear skin 3 easy to
hear, read, or understand: His voice rang out (as) clear as a
bell. | a clear speaker | a clear style of writing | The instruc-
tions on the packet weren't very clear. 4 able to think and
understand quickly and well: a clear thinker | He didn't have
another drink because he wanted to keep a clear head for his
interview. 5 impossible to doubt, question, or be mistaken
about; plain; UNMISTAKABLE: a clear case of murder | clear
evidence of her guilt | They won by a clear majority. | It is
becoming clear (to most people) that the government's policy
was wrong. | [+wh-] It is not yet clear whether we will be
affected by these changes. | One thing I'd like to make abso-
lutely clear is that... | I don't want this to happen again – do I
make myself clear? (=shows annoyance) 6 [F(about)] feeling
certain; having no doubts or uncertainty: She seems quite
clear about her plans. | [+wh-] I'm still not quite clear how it
works/which button to press. 7 [(of)] open; free from any-
thing that blocks or covers: a clear view | The road is clear of
snow now. | to tidy up one's papers and leave a clear