verb / noun
cleanse
KLENZ/klenz/
To remove unwanted impurities thoroughly.
The worker cleanses the surface until every trace of grime disappears.
Etymology
Old English clænsian already expressed making something clean or pure. Cleanse preserves this older verb, though the later verb clean has taken over much of its everyday work.
In context
your blood can cleanse us from all sin your blood can make us clean and whole again
More examples
- She hoped the inquiry would cleanse the institution of corruption.
- The advertisement promoted a cleanse with unsupported promises of removing toxins.
- Water flowed through the filter to cleanse it of trapped debris.
Forms
cleanse · cleanses · cleansed · cleansing
Similar words
- clean
- The ordinary term, while cleanse often stresses thorough purification.