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

A city cleaning crew stages occasional sweeps to collect and throw away the detritus.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are still financial tasks that have to be done for you after your death, like filing your last tax return and cleaning up your worldly possessions.

From MarketWatch

The trend has also sparked online chatter among gig workers on whether hardware stores and cleaning companies should also start cashing in on Dubai chewy cookies, The Korea Herald reported.

From BBC

Donations can include new and unopened toiletries, like shampoo and toothpaste, as well as other cleaning products including washing up liquid, sponges, cloths and tissues.

From BBC

If time was no issue, I could see how having an Eggie or NEO-like bot cleaning up after me and my kids might be helpful.

From BBC

Related Words

• purification
• sanitation
• sterilization
• washing