Link Centre Dictionary

cleanse

UK/klɛnz/ US/ˈklɛnz/ fairly common

verb

1.

clean one''s body or parts thereof, as by washing

  • “clean up before you see your grandparents”
  • “clean your fingernails before dinner”
Synonyms
2.

purge of an ideology, bad thoughts, or sins

  • “Purgatory is supposed to cleanse you from your sins”

Origin

From Middle English clensen, from Old English clǣnsian, from Proto-West Germanic *klainisōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“clean”). Cognate with West Frisian klinzgje (“to clean, cleanse”), archaic Dutch kleinzen (“to clean, purify”), Middle Low German klênsen, kleinsen, clensen (“to purify”).

Phrases

  • ethnically cleanse

Related words

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.