Showing results for "cleaner"

• comparative of clean.

cleaner

American  

[klee-ner] / ˈkli nər /

noun

• cleaners
  plural

1. a person who cleans, especially one whose regular occupation is cleaning offices, buildings, equipment, etc.

2. an apparatus or machine for cleaning, as a vacuum cleaner.

3. a preparation for use in cleaning, as a detergent or chemical bleach.

4. the owner or operator of a dry-cleaning establishment.

   The cleaner said he couldn't get the spot off my coat.

5. Usually cleaners. a dry-cleaning establishment.

   My suit is at the cleaners.

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idioms

1. take to the cleaners, to cause to lose all or a great deal of one's money or personal property, as through gambling or a bad investment.

   He got taken to the cleaners in the poker game last night.

cleaner British  

/ ˈkliːnə /

noun

1. a person, device, chemical agent, etc, that removes dirt, as from clothes or carpets

2. (usually plural) a shop, etc that provides a dry-cleaning service

3. informal to rob or defraud a person of all of his money

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• precleaner
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cleaners
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cleaner

First recorded in 1425–75, cleaner is from the late Middle English word clener. See clean, -er ¹

Explanation

A cleaner is either a person whose job involves tidying and disinfecting, or it's a substance used to do that work, like soap. If the cleaner runs out of window cleaner, they might try using vinegar. Professional cleaners might work in people's homes, in which case you might call them housekeepers, or they might work in office buildings, on work sites, or really anywhere that needs to be cleaned. Some cleaners (like dry cleaners) clean clothing and other textiles. Being a cleaner is hard work — and if you've ever watched workers suspended on scaffolding using big squeegees to clean skyscraper windows, you know that it can be thrilling work, too.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cleaner cleaners

The news conference, attended by more than a dozen parents, was organized by California Rising, a nonprofit that describes itself as advocating for public safety, and cleaner, stronger neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

To investigate the possibility of pair density waves, Madhavan's team first needed much cleaner samples of uranium ditelluride.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

"Worsened fiscal positions delay the retirement or decarbonisation of coal plants, and there is less financial support for cleaner infrastructure such as solar and wind," she said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Ealing Council street cleaner Wayne Broadhurst was described as "a gentle and quiet man"

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

It’s a new cage not unlike my old cage, except that it’s much cleaner.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

Research led by Brandon Boor at Purdue University found that fragrance compounds released by both conventional cleaners and botanical essential oil-based products can rapidly react indoors and generate nanoparticles.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Dangote wanted this to be "the people's IPO" with drivers, cooks, cleaners and servants having the chance to be part of something big.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

“It is so common to have house cleaners, housekeepers ... but why isn’t there someone that you can rely on as a second set of hands to do anything you would do for your family?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

By the time Dyson married, had children, and became obsessed with improving the suction of vacuum cleaners in his early 30s, he had tired of having a boss.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Hooks, a critical witness against McMillian, wasn't persuasive or reliable in the transcript—he just repeated the same story he’d given the police about driving by the cleaners at the time of the crime.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• cleanser
• disinfectant
• soap