cleaning

[klee-ning]

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.

Other Word Forms

• self-cleaning adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleaning¹

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

Example Sentences

If you do find ancient coins, avoid any cleaning as this could damage them.

Read more on BBC

Gutierrez normally sells cleaning products from her home, but with fewer and fewer neighbors able to afford them, she took out a loan to buy snacks, drinks and perfumes to sell at the market.

Read more on Barron's

But with Election Day near, Ms. Spanberger is stuck cleaning up a mega-mess created by the Democrat running for attorney general, Jay Jones.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After cleaning the skull, Maria places it with Tomas's other bones inside a wooden box lined with white cloth.

Read more on Barron's

Every inmate receives a bag containing two blankets, bedsheets, personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies, said Pierre Botton, a former inmate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• purification 
• sanitation 
• sterilization 
• washing