clean /kliːn/► SEE ALL(as) clean as a whistlea clean bill of healtha clean breakclean housea clean sheet/slateclean up your actcome clean (with sb) (about sth)have clean handsyour hands are cleanmake a clean breast of sthmake a clean sweep (of sth)keep your nose cleanshow (sb) a clean pair of heelswipe the slate clean ●(as) clean as a ˈwhistle (informal) 1. ( (as) clean as a new ˈpin) very clean干干净净◆She scrubbed the kitchen floor until it was clean as a whistle. 她把厨房的地板擦得干干净净。2.if sb is as clean as a whistle, they are not involved in anything illegal清白无罪◆I don’t know why the police want to talk to me. I’m as clean as a whistle! 我不知道为什么警方找我谈话，我可是清清白白的！●a clean bill of ˈhealtha statement that sb is well or sth is in a satisfactory condition健康证明；合格证明◆The doctor’s given her a clean bill of health. 医生给她开了健康证明。ORIGINA bill of health was an official document given to the captain of a ship when leaving a particular port that said that nobody on the ship carried any disease or infection. * bill of health 指船舶检疫证书。●a clean ˈbreaka complete separation from a person, an organization, a way of life, etc.彻底决裂◆She wanted to make a clean break with the past and start again. 她想与过去彻底了断，重新开始。●clean ˈhouse (NAmE) remove people or things that are not necessary or wanted清除不必要的人（或物）；裁减；清理◆The new manager said he wanted to clean house. 新来的经理说他要裁员。●a clean ˈsheet/ˈslatea record of your work or actions that does not show any mistakes or bad things that you have done无过错记录；清白的历史◆At the new school, you will start with a clean slate. 在新学校你会清清白白地重新开始。◆They kept a clean sheet in the match (= no goals were scored against them). 他们在比赛中保持了未失一分的纪录。●clean up your ˈact (informal) start behaving in a moral or responsible way改邪归正；重新做人◆He cleaned up his act and gave up the cigarettes and alcohol. 他已改邪归正，戒掉了烟酒。●come ˈclean (with sb) (about sth) (informal) tell the truth about sth, especially after lying or keeping it secret（尤指撒谎后）全盘招供；和盘托出（秘密等）◆I’ll come clean with you — I’ve been reading your mail. 我跟你说实话吧，我一直在看你的邮件。◆He finally came clean and confessed. 他最后全都招了。●have clean ˈhands●your hands are ˈcleannot be responsible for crime, dishonesty, etc.无罪；清白；正派◆After years of corrupt government, we want politicians with clean hands. 政府腐败已有多年，我们需要清白正派的政治家。●make a clean ˈbreast of sthadmit fully sth that you have done wrong彻底坦白；如实供认；坦承做过的错事◆He decided to make a clean breast of it and tell the police. 他决定向警方如实供认。●make a clean ˈsweep (of sth) (informal) 1.remove unwanted things or people全部撤换；彻底清除◆The Prime Minister is expected to make a clean sweep of his advisers who don’t support the new policy. 人们预料首相会换掉所有不支持新政策的顾问。2.win all the prizes, etc. that are available大获全胜；包揽（所有奖项）◆Kenyan athletes made a clean sweep (of the medals) in yesterday’s competition. 肯尼亚运动员在昨天的比赛中包揽了所有的奖牌。●keep your ˈnose clean (informal) do nothing that will get you into trouble with the police or other authorities循规蹈矩；安分守己◆After he came out of prison, he was determined to keep his nose clean.出狱以后，他下决心要安分守己。●show (sb) a clean pair of ˈheels (informal) 1.run away跑掉；溜之大吉◆They ran after her, but she showed them a clean pair of heels.他们在后面追她，可是她很快跑掉了。2.get ahead of sb in a competition（在竞争中）领先于◆As makers of quality software, they’ve shown the rest of the industry a clean pair of heels.作为优质软件制造商，他们令同行望尘莫及。●wipe the slate ˈcleanagree to forget about past mistakes or arguments and start again with a relationship把以往过错一笔勾销；捐弃前嫌◆We’re both to blame. Let’s wipe the slate clean and start again.我们俩都有错。让我们捐弃前嫌，重新开始吧。ORIGINIn the past, people wrote on a slate with chalk(= a soft white stone). If you wiped it, you rubbed off the marks written on it.旧时，人们用白垩（chalk）在石板上写字。擦掉后，上面的文字就没有了。