Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - clear

(clearer, clearest, clears, clearing, cleared) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Something that is clear is easy to understand, see, or hear. The book is clear, readable and adequately illustrated... The space telescope has taken the clearest pictures ever of Pluto... He repeated his answer, this time in a clear, firm tone of voice. ? unclear ADJ • clearly Whales journey up the coast of Africa, clearly visible from the beach... It was important for children to learn to express themselves clearly. ADV: usu ADV -ed/adj, also ADV after v 2. Something that is clear is obvious and impossible to be mistaken about. It was a clear case of homicide... The clear message of the scientific reports is that there should be a drastic cut in car use... A spokesman said the British government’s position is perfectly clear... It’s not clear whether the incident was an accident or deliberate. ? unclear ADJ: oft it v-link ADJ that/wh • clearly Clearly, the police cannot break the law in order to enforce it... = obviously ADV: ADV with cl/group 3. If you are clear about something, you understand it completely. It is important to be clear about what Chomsky is doing here... People use scientific terms with no clear idea of their meaning. ADJ: usu v-link ADJ about/on n/wh 4. If your mind or your way of thinking is clear, you are able to think sensibly and reasonably, and you are not affected by confusion or by a drug such as alcohol. She needed a clear head to carry out her instructions. ADJ • clearly The only time I can think clearly is when I’m alone. ADV: ADV after v 5. To clear your mind or your head means to free it from confused thoughts or from the effects of a drug such as alcohol. He walked up Fifth Avenue to clear his head... Our therapists will show you how to clear your mind of worries. VERB: V n, V n of n 6. A clear substance is one which you can see through and which has no colour, like clean water. ...a clear glass panel... The water is clear and plenty of fish are visible. = transparent ADJ: usu ADJ n 7. If a surface, place, or view is clear, it is free of unwanted objects or obstacles. The runway is clear–go ahead and land... Caroline prefers her worktops to be clear of clutter... The windows will allow a clear view of the beach. ADJ: usu v-link ADJ 8. When you clear an area or place or clear something from it, you remove things from it that you do not want to be there. To clear the land and harvest the bananas they decided they needed a male workforce... Workers could not clear the tunnels of smoke... Firemen were still clearing rubble from apartments damaged at the scene of the attack. VERB: V n, V n of n, V n from/off n 9. If something or someone clears the way or the path for something to happen, they make it possible. The Prime Minister resigned today, clearing the way for the formation of a new government... VERB: V n for n 10. If it is a clear day or if the sky is clear, there is no mist, rain, or cloud. On a clear day you can see the French coast... The winter sky was clear. ADJ 11. When fog or mist clears, it gradually disappears. The early morning mist had cleared. VERB: V 12. Clear eyes look healthy, attractive, and shining. ...clear blue eyes... Her eyes were clear and steady. ADJ 13. If your skin is clear, it is healthy and free from spots. ADJ 14. If you say that your conscience is clear, you mean you do not think you have done anything wrong. Mr Garcia said his conscience was clear over the jail incidents... ADJ 15. If something or someone is clear of something else, it is not touching it or is a safe distance away from it. As soon as he was clear of the terminal building he looked round... ADJ: v-link ADJ of n, v n ADJ 16. If an animal or person clears an object or clears a certain height, they jump over the object, or over something that height, without touching it. Sotomayor, the Cuban holder of the world high jump record, cleared 2.36 metres. VERB: V n 17. When a bank clears a cheque or when a cheque clears, the bank agrees to pay the sum of money mentioned on it. Polish banks can still take two or three weeks to clear a cheque... Allow time for the cheque to clear. VERB: V n, V 18. If a course of action is cleared, people in authority give permission for it to happen. Linda Gradstein has this report from Jerusalem, which was cleared by an Israeli censor... Within an hour, the helicopter was cleared for take-off... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, be V-ed for n 19. If someone is cleared, they are proved to be not guilty of a crime or mistake. She was cleared of murder and jailed for just five years for manslaughter... In a final effort to clear her name, Eunice has written a book. VERB: be V-ed of n/-ing, V n 20. see also clearing, crystal clear 21. You can say ‘Is that clear?’ or ‘Do I make myself clear?’ after you have told someone your wishes or instructions, to make sure that they have understood you, and to emphasize your authority. We’re only going for half an hour, and you’re not going to buy anything. Is that clear? CONVENTION 22. If someone is in the clear, they are not in danger, or are not blamed or suspected of anything. The Audit Commission said that the ministry was in the clear. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v 23. If you make something clear, you say something in a way that makes it impossible for there to be any doubt about your meaning, wishes, or intentions. Mr O’Friel made it clear that further insults of this kind would not be tolerated... The far-right has now made its intentions clear. PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR that 24. If something or someone is a certain amount clear of a competitor, they are that amount ahead of them in a competition or race. (BRIT) Keegan’s team are now seven points clear of West Ham... He crossed the line three seconds clear of Tom Snape. PREP-PHRASE: amount PREP n 25. If you steer clear or stay clear of someone or something, you avoid them. The rabbis try to steer clear of political questions. PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR of n 26. to clear the air: see air the coast is clear: see coast to clear the decks: see deck loud and clear: see loud to clear your throat: see throat