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

He does not drive, has difficulty dressing himself and needs help with his personal hygiene, cooking and cleaning.

From MarketWatch

Ellen Baum had a wine opener, a pair of gloves and a question she couldn’t shake: Why was nobody cleaning up the Brooklyn Bridge?

From The Wall Street Journal

The fireplace required regular wood chopping and cleaning out ash, which Skachkova found surprisingly enjoyable.

From The Wall Street Journal

In addition to mowing her lawn, he says he was asked to plan her vacations and pick up dry cleaning.

From Los Angeles Times

The health board says it has put mitigations, including bespoke cleaning regimes and other infection control measures, in place to reduce risks.

From BBC

Related Words

• purification
• sanitation
• sterilization
• washing