cleaning

American  

[klee-ning] / ˈkli nɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of making clean.

   Give the house a good cleaning.

2. Slang. an overwhelming or complete defeat, financial loss, or failure.

   Our team took a cleaning in yesterday's game.

3. Informal. killing.

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Other Word Forms

• self-cleaning adjective

Etymology

Origin of cleaning

First recorded in 1655–75; clean + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The term derives from the white crystalline powder used in cleaning, soldering, glass making and in pesticides, which in centuries past was sold as a cure-all.

From The Wall Street Journal

He has called for cleaning up parks, clearing homeless encampments and painting over graffiti.

From The Wall Street Journal

If the contaminated food product came into contact with a fridge or countertops, the FDA recommends cleaning and disinfecting those areas and then washing hands with soap and warm water.

From Los Angeles Times

It must also conduct interior cleaning of more than 50 reservoirs where there are gaps in documentation or time since the last cleaning was recorded.

From Los Angeles Times

His knack of cleaning up the tail - his nickname is 'The Mop' - would have been very handy as England struggled against the Australia lower order in Brisbane.

From BBC

Related Words

• purification
• sanitation
• sterilization
• washing