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

That keeps domestic pricing anchored to the global clearing level.

From Barron's

We weren’t doing anything big in the game, just clearing zone maps.

From Literature

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts of my imaginary family away as I shut my closet door.

From Literature

Millward decided to leave, disturbed and troubled “that something as dramatic as clearing the whole gallery could happen simply by me trying to tell people what had been on the wall the week before.”

From Salon

Naughton disregarded Kennedy’s statement, warning that the policy is “clearing the way for companies that produce this chemical not to have any liability.”

From Salon

Related Words

• clearance
• expanse