clear: Meaning and Definition of

clear

Pronunciation: (klēr), [key]

— adj., adv., v., n. -er, -est, -er, -est,

—adj.

free from darkness, obscurity, or cloudiness; light: a clear day.
transparent; pellucid: clear water.
without discoloration, defect, or blemish: a clear complexion; a clear pane of glass.
of a pure, even color: a clear yellow.
easily seen; sharply defined: a clear outline.
distinctly perceptible to the ear; easily heard: a clear sound.
free from hoarse, harsh, or rasping qualities: a clear voice; clear as a bell.
easily understood; without ambiguity: clear, concise answers.
entirely comprehensible; completely understood: The ultimate causes of inflation may never be clear.
distinct; evident; plain: a clear case of misbehavior.
free from confusion, uncertainty, or doubt: clear thinking.
perceiving or discerning distinctly: a clear mind.
convinced; certain: He was not clear on the first point that she made but agreed with the others.
free from anything that would disturb or blame: a clear conscience.
free from suspicion of guilt or complicity: She was entirely clear of the crime until one of her accomplices turned informer.
serene; calm; untroubled: a clear brow.
free from obstructions or obstacles; open: a clear view; a clear path.
free from entanglement or contact: He kept clear of her after the argument. She managed to keep her dress clear of the mud.
without limitation or qualification; absolute: a clear victory.
free from obligation, liability, or debt: After twenty years, our house is clear of the mortgage. Municipal bonds were returning as much as 9 percent, clear of taxes.
without deduction or diminution: a clear $1000 after taxes.
freed or emptied of contents, cargo, etc.
(of tree trunks or timber) free from branches, knots, or other protruding or rough parts: The trunk was clear for 20 feet above the ground.

(of an l-sound) having front-vowel resonance; situated before a vowel in the same syllable. Cf. dark (def. 16a).
(of a speech sound) produced without frication or aspiration.

(in cryptography) not coded or enciphered. Cf. plaintext.
bright; shining: a clear flame.
illustrious.

—adv.

in a clear or distinct manner; clearly.
so as not to be in contact with or near; away (often fol. by of&hasp;): Stand clear of the closing doors.
entirely; completely; clean: to cut a piece clear off; to climb clear to the top; to run clear off the road.

—v.t.

to remove people or objects from (usually fol. by of&hasp;): to clear a courtroom of photographers; to clear the table of dishes.
to remove (people or objects) (usually fol. by from): to clear the photographers from the courtroom; to clear the dishes from the table.
to make clear, transparent, or pellucid; free from cloudiness or impurities: to clear a liquid by means of a filter.
to make free of confusion, doubt, or uncertainty: He spoke to his supervisor to clear his mind about their working relationship.
to make understandable or lucid; free from ambiguity or obscurity: She rephrased the report in order to clear the essential points.
to make (a path, road, etc.) by removing any obstruction: He had to cut away the underbrush to clear a path.
to eat all the food on: to clear one's plate.
to relieve (the throat) of some obstruction, as phlegm, by forcing air through the larynx, usually producing a rasping sound.
to make a similar rasping noise in (the throat), as to express disapproval or to attract attention.
to remove from (the brow) any traces of tension or anxiety, as folds or wrinkles.
to free of anything defamatory or discrediting: to clear one's name.
to free from suspicion, accusation, or imputation of guilt; prove or declare innocent: The jury cleared the defendant of the charge.
to remove instructions or data from (a computer, calculator, etc.).
to pass by or over without contact or entanglement: The ship cleared the reef. The fisherman cleared his line.
to pass through or away from: The ship cleared the harbor. The bill cleared the Senate.
to pass (checks or other commercial paper) through a clearinghouse.
(of mail, telephone calls, etc.) to process, handle, reroute, etc.: The dispatcher clears hundreds of items each day.
to free from debt: Just a few dollars more would clear him. The widow had to borrow money to clear her husband's estate.
to gain as clear profit: to clear $1000 in a transaction.
to pay (a debt) in full.
to receive authorization before taking action on: You'll have to clear your plan with headquarters.
to give clearance to; authorize: The chairperson has to clear our speeches before the meeting.
to authorize (a person, agency, etc.) to use classified information, documents, etc.: He has finally been cleared for highly classified information.
to remove trees, buildings, or other obstructions from (land), as for farming or construction.
to free (a ship, cargo, etc.) from legal detention at a port by satisfying customs and other requirements.
to try or otherwise dispose of (the cases awaiting court action): to clear the docket.
(of a commodity) to buy up or sell out the existing supply of.
to drain or expel unwanted water in: to clear a snorkel by sharp exhalations; to clear a regulator and face mask while underwater.
to establish one or more winning cards in (a given suit) by leading the suit until all the outstanding cards have been drawn: He cleared the heart suit before attacking spades.

—v.i.

to become clear.
to exchange checks and bills, and settle balances, as in a clearinghouse.
to become free from doubt, anxiety, misunderstanding, etc.: His mind cleared when he heard the truth.
to pass an authority for review, approval, etc.: The bill must clear through the assembly before it becomes legal.
to remove dishes, food, etc., from a table following a meal: Is it my turn to clear?
to remove previously inserted instructions or data from a computer, calculator, typewriter, or the like.

to comply with customs and other requirements legally imposed on entering or leaving a port (often fol. by in or out).
to leave port after having complied with such requirements.

(of a commodity for sale) to sell out; become bought out: Wheat cleared rapidly.
We were warned to clear off before the floods came.

to remove in order to make room.
to leave; escape:We were warned to clear off before the floods came.
to disappear; vanish:When the smoke cleared away, we saw that the house was in ruins.