CLEANSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cleanse mean? 

• CLEANSE (verb)
  The verb CLEANSE has 2 senses:

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

2. purge of an ideology, bad thoughts, or sins

  Familiarity information: CLEANSE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLEANSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they cleanse    ... he / she / it cleanses   
Past simple: cleansed   
Past participle: cleansed   
-ing form: cleansing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

clean; cleanse

Context example:

clean your fingernails before dinner

Hypernyms (to "cleanse" is one way to...):

groom; neaten (care for one's external appearance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cleanse"):

bathe (cleanse the entire body)

wash (to cleanse (itself or another animal) by licking)

lave; wash (cleanse (one's body) with soap and water)

lather; soap (rub soap all over, usually with the purpose of cleaning)

douche (direct a spray of water into a bodily cavity, for cleaning)

floss (use dental floss to clean)

decontaminate (rid of contamination)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They cleanse themselves

Derivation:

cleanser (a preparation used in cleaning something)

cleansing (the act of making something clean)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Purge of an ideology, bad thoughts, or sins

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

Purgatory is supposed to cleanse you from your sins

Hypernyms (to "cleanse" is one way to...):

disembarrass; free; rid (relieve from)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cleanse"):

denazify (free from Nazi ideology or detach from Nazi allegiance)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

The liver cleanses the blood and aids in digestion by secreting bile.

(Liver, NCI Dictionary)

Think of eclipses as on a mission to cleanse situations.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The first-pass and cleansing effects of the lung are not available when the agent is given by this route.

(Intraarterial Route of Administration, NCI Thesaurus)

Instillation of a solution into the bladder to provide cleansing or medication.

(Bladder Irrigation, NCI Thesaurus)

It is typically used for applying medication or for cleansing.

(Cloth Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Domeboro is used most often to cleanse irritated skin and soothe inflammation.

(Domeboro Solution, NCI Thesaurus)

The process of filtering the blood when the kidneys are not able to cleanse it.

(Dialysis, NCI Dictionary)

Devil's claw has been used as a tonic, as a hypoglycemic, to cleanse the lymph system, and in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, and skin cancer.

(Devils Claw, NCI Thesaurus)

Devil's claw has been used as a tonic, as a hypoglycemic, to cleanse the lymph system, and in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.

(Devil's Foot/Jambul, NCI Thesaurus)

Then she began to rub her lips as though to cleanse them from pollution.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)