Cleanse

• POS: Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Cleanse, v. t. [AS. cl\'d6nsian, fr. cl\'d6ne clean. See Clean.].

 To render clean; to free from fith, pollution, infection, guilt, etc.; to clean.  [1913 Webster]
"If we walk in the light . . . the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin."  [1913 Webster]
"Can'st thou not minister to a mind diseased,
And with some sweet oblivious antidote
Cleanse the suffed bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart?"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Cleanse, v.tr.
1 usu. formal. make clean.
2 (often foll. by of) purify from sin or guilt.
3 archaic cure (a leper etc.).

Idiom

cleansing cream cream for removing unwanted matter from the face, hands, etc. cleansing department Brit. a local service of refuse collection etc.

Derivative

cleanser n.

Etymology

OE cl{aelig}nsian (see CLEAN)

THESAURUS

Cleanse

beatify, bleach, bless, bowdlerize, canonize, clarify, clean, clean out, clean up, cleanse away, clear out, consecrate, dedicate, deliver, delouse, depurate, deterge, devote, discharge, disinfect, dry-clean, dust, dust off, enshrine, exalt, expiate, expurgate, free, free from, freshen, give release, give respite, glorify, hallow, intermit, lustrate, purge, purge away, purify, reform, release, remove, reprieve, saint, sanctify, sanitize, scavenge, scour, scrub, set apart, spruce, steam-clean, sterilize, suspend, sweep out, sweeten, tidy, wash, whiten, wipe, wipe off, wipe out, wipe up

ROGET THESAURUS

Cleanse

Cleanness

VB be clean, render clean, clean, cleanse, mundify, rinse, wring, flush, full, wipe, mop, sponge, scour, swab, scrub, brush up, wash, lave, launder, buck, absterge, deterge, decrassify, clear, purify, depurate, despumate, defecate, purge, expurgate, elutriate, lixiviate, edulcorate, clarify, refine, rack, filter, filtrate, drain, strain, disinfect, fumigate, ventilate, deodorize, whitewash, castrate, emasculate, sift, winnow, pick, weed, comb, rake, brush, sweep, rout out, clear out, sweep out, make a clean sweep of.