English Explanatory Dictionary

cleanse

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To free from dirt; to clean, to purify.
  2. To spiritually purify; to free from guilt or sin; to purge.
  3. To remove (something seen as unpleasant) from a person, place, or thing.
noun
  1. An act of cleansing; a purification.

Pronunciation

/klɛnz/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cleanse.wav

Word forms

cleanse cleanses cleansing cleansed

Etymology

From Middle English clensen, from Old English clǣnsian, from Proto-West Germanic *klainisōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“clean”). Cognate with West Frisian klinzgje (“to clean, cleanse”), archaic Dutch kleinzen (“to clean, purify”), Middle Low German klênsen, kleinsen, clensen (“to purify”).

Synonyms

deterge cleansing

Derived words

cleansable cleanser decleanse ethnically cleanse recleanse uncleanse

Translations

Breton: glanaat Bulgarian: изчиствам Bulgarian: почиствам Catalan: netejar Chinese: 清洗 Czech: očistit se Czech: očistit Czech: pročistit Dutch: reinigen Dutch: schoonmaken Finnish: puhdistaa German: reinigen German: säubern Gothic: 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 Ancient Greek: καθαρίζω Ancient Greek: καθαίρω Ancient Greek: ἁγνίζω Hebrew: איבק Italian: ripulire Italian: pulire Italian: purificare Italian: detergere Japanese: 浄化する Japanese: 清める Korean: 씻다 Latin: abluō Latin: mundo Latin: luo Old English: clǣnsian Old English: fǣlsian Polish: oczyścić Portuguese: limpar Russian: очищать Sanskrit: क्षिपति Sanskrit: पवयति Spanish: acendrar Spanish: cendrar Spanish: aquilatar Spanish: acrisolar Thai: ชำระ Thai: ล้าง Turkish: temizlemek Ottoman Turkish: طهارتلنمك
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