- clear
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I. adjective
Etymology: Middle English clere, from Anglo-French cler, from Latin clarus clear, bright; akin to Latin calare to call — more at low
Date: 13th century
1.
a. bright, luminous
b. cloudless; specifically less than one-tenth covered <a clear sky> c. free from mist, haze, or dust <a clear day> d. untroubled, serene <a clear gaze> 2. clean, pure: as a. free from blemishes <clear skin> b. easily seen through ; transparent <clear glass> c. free from abnormal sounds on auscultation 3. a. easily heard <a loud and clear sound> b. easily visible ; plain <a clear signal> c. free from obscurity or ambiguity ; easily understood ; unmistakable <a clear explanation> 4. a. capable of sharp discernment ; keen <a clear thinker> b. free from doubt ; sure <not clear on how to proceed> 5. free from guile or guilt ; innocent <a clear conscience> 6. unhampered by restriction or limitation: as a. unencumbered by debts or charges <a clear estate> b. net <a clear profit> c. unqualified, absolute <a clear victory> d. free from obstruction <clear passage> e. emptied of contents or cargo f. free from entanglement or contact <staying clear of controversy> <keep clear of the boundary> g. bare, denuded <clear ground> • clearness noun Synonyms: clear, transparent, translucent, limpid mean capable of being seen through. clear implies absence of cloudiness, haziness, or muddiness <clear water>. transparent implies being so clear that objects can be seen distinctly <a transparent sheet of film>. translucent implies the passage of light but not a clear view of what lies beyond <translucent frosted glass>. limpid suggests the soft clearness of pure water <her eyes were limpid pools of blue>. Synonyms: clear, perspicuous, lucid mean quickly and easily understood. clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity <clear instructions>. perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear <a perspicuous style>. lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement <a lucid explanation>. Synonym: see in addition evident. II. adverb Date: 14th century 1. in a clear manner <to cry loud and clear> 2. all the way <drove clear across the state> III. transitive verb Date: 14th century 1. a. to make clear or translucent b. to free from pollution or cloudiness 2. to free from accusation or blame ; exonerate, vindicate <the opportunity to clear himself> 3. a. to give insight to ; enlighten b. to make intelligible ; explain <clear up the mystery> 4. a. to free from what obstructs or is unneeded: as (1) open 1b <clear a path> (2) to remove unwanted growth or items from <clear the land of timber> (3) to rid or make a rasping noise as if ridding (the throat) of phlegm (4) to erase stored or displayed data from (as a computer or calculator) b. to empty of occupants <clear the room> c. disentangle <clear a fishing line> d. to remove from an area or place <clear the dishes from the table> e. transmit, dispatch 5. a. to submit for approval <clear it with me first> b. authorize, approve <cleared the article for publication>: as (1) to certify as trustworthy <clear a person for classified information> (2) to permit (an aircraft) to proceed usually with a specified action <the plane was cleared to land> 6. a. to free from obligation or encumbrance b. settle, discharge <clear an account> c. (1) to free (a ship or shipment) by payment of duties or harbor fees (2) to pass through (customs) d. to gain without deduction ; net <clear a profit> e. to put through a clearinghouse 7. a. to go over, under, or by without touching <the ball just cleared the uprights> b. to move through successfully ; pass <the bill cleared the legislature> intransitive verb 1. a. to become clear <it cleared up quickly after the rain> b. to go away ; vanish <the symptoms cleared gradually> c. sell 2. a. to obtain permission to discharge cargo b. to conform to regulations or pay requisite fees prior to leaving port 3. to pass through a clearinghouse 4. to go to an authority (as for approval) before becoming effective • clearable adjective • clearer noun IV. noun Date: 1674 1. a clear space or part 2. a high arcing shot over an opponent's head in badminton
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.