cleaner

[ klee-ner ]

noun

1. a person who cleans, especially one whose regular occupation is cleaning cleaning offices, buildings, equipment, etc.
2. an apparatus or machine for cleaning, cleaning, as a vacuum cleaner.
3. a preparation for use in cleaning, cleaning, as a detergent or chemical bleach.
4. the owner or operator of a dry-cleaning establishment:

   The cleaner said he couldn't get the spot off my coat.

5. Usually cleaners. a dry-cleaning establishment:

   My suit is at the cleaners.

cleaner

/ ˈkliːnə /

noun

1. a person, device, chemical agent, etc, that removes dirt, as from clothes or carpets
2. usually plural a shop, etc that provides a dry-cleaning service
3. take a person to the cleaners informal.
   to rob or defraud a person of all of his money

Other Words From

• pre·cleaner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleaner¹

First recorded in 1425–75, cleaner is from the late Middle English word clener. See clean, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take to the cleaners, Slang. to cause to lose all or a great deal of one's money or personal property, as through gambling or a bad investment:

   He got taken to the cleaners in the poker game last night.

Example Sentences

The scientists started by analyzing data from proton-proton collisions at Europe's Large Hadron Collider, but they also wanted to look at the "cleaner" data produced by electron-proton collisions.

From Science Daily

The study, released by trade union Unison, questioned almost 800 school workers across the region between 10 and 25 October, including teaching assistants, caterers and cleaners.

From BBC

The demand for oil across most sectors is expected to fall from 2026 as countries move to cleaner technologies like electric vehicles - but plastic is seen as one of the remaining growth markets.

From BBC

Half an hour's walk away from the daylight protest, a small army of cleaners were trying to scrub off graffiti from a wall in front of the Georgian parliament.

From BBC

A chemical reaction can convert two polluting greenhouse gases into valuable building blocks for cleaner fuels and feedstocks, but the high temperature required for the reaction also deactivates the catalyst.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cleanser
• disinfectant
• soap