CLEANING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cleaning mean? 

• CLEANING (noun)
  The noun CLEANING has 1 sense:

1. the act of making something clean

  Familiarity information: CLEANING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLEANING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of making something clean

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

cleaning; cleansing; cleanup

Context example:

he gave his shoes a good cleaning

Hypernyms ("cleaning" is a kind of...):

improvement (the act of improving something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cleaning"):

disinfestation (the activity of getting rid of vermin)

spring-cleaning (the activity of cleaning a house thoroughly at the end of winter)

scouring; scrub; scrubbing (the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water)

dry cleaning (the act of cleaning (fabrics) with a solvent other than water)

sweeping (the act of cleaning with a broom)

purge; purging (an act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements)

purification (the act of cleaning by getting rid of impurities)

sterilisation; sterilization (the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means))

sanitation; sanitisation; sanitization (making something sanitary (free of germs) as by sterilizing)

depilation; epilation (the act of removing hair (as from an animal skin))

bathing; washup (the act of washing yourself (or another person))

housecleaning (the act of cleaning the rooms and furnishings of a house)

Derivation:

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

clean (remove unwanted substances from)

clean (remove while making clean)

clean (make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from)

clean (clean and tidy up the house)

clean (be cleanable)

 Context examples 

Treatment for the prevention of periodontal diseases or other dental diseases by the cleaning of the teeth in the dental office using the procedures of dental scaling and dental polishing.

(Dental Prophylaxis, NCI Thesaurus)

During the first half of February, if you have plans to move, renovate, or do a thorough cleaning or repair project, you will do best to act on your project in early February.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The team has developed a robust bio-inspired, liquid, sludge-, and bacteria-repellent coating that can essentially make a toilet self-cleaning.

(Materials scientists invent new coating for self-cleaning, water-efficient toilets, Wikinews)

The process of washing the skin using a cleaning agent that functions as a standard of comparison in a control experiment.

(Control Cleansing, NCI Thesaurus)

A preparation used in cleaning something.

(Cleanser, NCI Thesaurus)

It is used with a toothbrush for the purpose of cleaning and polishing the teeth.

(Dentifrice Gel Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Compulsions include washing your hands, counting, checking on things, or cleaning.

(Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, NIH: National Institute of Mental Health)

In the laboratory, ammonia can be changed to a liquid and used in medicines, fertilizers, household cleaning liquids, and other products.

(Ammonia, NCI Dictionary)

A person in ESRD needs dialysis (the process of cleaning the blood by passing it through a membrane or filter) or a kidney transplant.

(Kidney Failure, NCI Dictionary)

Activities performed to maintain a living space, such as cleaning.

(Housework, NCI Thesaurus)