Cleanse
/klɛnz/
Definitions
To remove dirt, impurities, or contaminants from something.
/klɛnz/
To make clean; to purify.
She cleansed her hands before preparing the food.
💡 Simply: Imagine washing something really dirty until it's sparkling clean – that's cleansing! It's like giving something a super thorough cleaning.
👶 For kids: To wash something until it's super clean!
More Examples
The rain cleansed the air.
How It's Used
"The doctor used antiseptic to cleanse the wound."
"Many religions have rituals to cleanse the soul."
From Old English *clēnsian, from clēan "clean". The word has evolved through Middle English and retains its core meaning of making something pure.
Historically, 'cleanse' held strong religious connotations, referring to spiritual purification.
Memory tip
Think of 'clean' + 'se' (as in 'to make'), so cleanse means 'to make clean'.
Word Origin
"To make clean"