clearing

American  

[kleer-ing] / ˈklɪər ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that clears; the process of becoming clear.

2. a tract of land, as in a forest, that contains no trees or bushes.

3. the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences.

4. clearings, the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse.

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clearing British  

/ ˈklɪərɪŋ /

noun

1. an area with few or no trees or shrubs in wooded or overgrown land

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Other Word Forms

• unclearing adjective

Etymology

Origin of clearing

First recorded in 1350–1400, clearing is from the Middle English word clering. See clear, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Doncic scored his final points of the night on a two-handed dunk in transition, methodically jumping off of both feet before barely clearing the top of the rim.

From Los Angeles Times

Everyone talks about “budgeting” — but I’ve found the real challenge is clearing the psychological hurdle to sitting down and auditing where your cash actually goes each month.

From MarketWatch

About a year ago, a group of us started holding bonfires at dedicated clearings in the woods, nowhere near enough to houses for parents to come nosing around our flickering flames.

From Literature

I ask him, clearing the coffee table of the pile of dirty dishes that always seem to accumulate on it.

From Literature

Clare picked his way across the clearing, adjusting his hood to shroud his face.

From Literature

Related Words

• clearance
• expanse