clean
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Quite, or entirely; "CLEAN gone," entirely out of sight, or away.—Old, see Cotgrave and Shakspeare. CLEAN CONTRARY, quite different, opposite.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “clean” mean?
Quite, or entirely; "CLEAN gone," entirely out of sight, or away.—Old, see Cotgrave and Shakspeare. CLEAN CONTRARY, quite different, opposite.
Is “clean” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.