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1. free from darkness, obscurity, or cloudiness; light: a clear day.2. transparent; pellucid: clear water.3. without discoloration, defect, or blemish: a clear complexion; a clear pane of glass.4. of a pure, even color: a clear yellow.5. easily seen; sharply defined: a clear outline.6. distinctly perceptible to the ear; easily heard: a clear sound.7. free from hoarse, harsh, or rasping qualities: a clear voice; clear as a bell.9. entirely comprehensible; completely understood: The ultimate causes of inflation may never be clear.10. distinct; evident; plain: a clear case of misbehavior.11. free from confusion, uncertainty, or doubt: clear thinking.12. perceiving or discerning distinctly: a clear mind.13. convinced; certain: He was not clear on the first point that she made but agreed with the others.14. free from anything that would disturb or blame: a clear conscience.15. free from suspicion of guilt or complicity: She was entirely clear of the crime until one of her accomplices turned informer.16. serene; calm; untroubled: a clear brow.17. free from obstructions or obstacles; open: a clear view; a clear path.18. free from entanglement or contact: He kept clear of her after the argument. She managed to keep her dress clear of the mud.19. without limitation or qualification; absolute: a clear victory.20. 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.21. without deduction or diminution: a clear $1000 after taxes.22. freed or emptied of contents, cargo, etc.23. (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.24. Phonet.a. (of an l-sound) having front-vowel resonance; situated before a vowel in the same syllable. Cf. dark (def. 16a).b. (of a speech sound) produced without frication or aspiration.26. bright; shining: a clear flame.27. Obs. illustrious.adv.28. in a clear or distinct manner; clearly.29. so as not to be in contact with or near; away (often fol. by of): Stand clear of the closing doors.30. entirely; completely; clean: to cut a piece clear off; to climb clear to the top; to run clear off the road.v.t.31. to remove people or objects from (usually fol. by of): to clear a courtroom of photographers; to clear the table of dishes.32. to remove (people or objects) (usually fol. by from): to clear the photographers from the courtroom; to clear the dishes from the table.33. to make clear, transparent, or pellucid; free from cloudiness or impurities: to clear a liquid by means of a filter.34. to make free of confusion, doubt, or uncertainty: He spoke to his supervisor to clear his mind about their working relationship.35. to make understandable or lucid; free from ambiguity or obscurity: She rephrased the report in order to clear the essential points.36. to make (a path, road, etc.) by removing any obstruction: He had to cut away the underbrush to clear a path.37. to eat all the food on: to clear one's plate.38. to relieve (the throat) of some obstruction, as phlegm, by forcing air through the larynx, usually producing a rasping sound.39. to make a similar rasping noise in (the throat), as to express disapproval or to attract attention.41. to free of anything defamatory or discrediting: to clear one's name.42. to free from suspicion, accusation, or imputation of guilt; prove or declare innocent: The jury cleared the defendant of the charge.44. to pass by or over without contact or entanglement: The ship cleared the reef. The fisherman cleared his line.45. to pass through or away from: The ship cleared the harbor. The bill cleared the Senate.46. to pass (checks or other commercial paper) through a clearinghouse.47. (of mail, telephone calls, etc.) to process, handle, reroute, etc.: The dispatcher clears hundreds of items each day.48. to free from debt: Just a few dollars more would clear him. The widow had to borrow money to clear her husband's estate.49. to gain as clear profit: to clear $1000 in a transaction.50. to pay (a debt) in full.51. to receive authorization before taking action on: You'll have to clear your plan with headquarters.52. to give clearance to; authorize: The chairperson has to clear our speeches before the meeting.53. to authorize (a person, agency, etc.) to use classified information, documents, etc.: He has finally been cleared for highly classified information.55. to free (a ship, cargo, etc.) from legal detention at a port by satisfying customs and other requirements.56. to try or otherwise dispose of (the cases awaiting court action): to clear the docket.57. (of a commodity) to buy up or sell out the existing supply of.58. Skin Diving. to drain or expel unwanted water in: to clear a snorkel by sharp exhalations; to clear a regulator and face mask while underwater.59. Bridge. 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.60. to become clear.61. to exchange checks and bills, and settle balances, as in a clearinghouse.62. to become free from doubt, anxiety, misunderstanding, etc.: His mind cleared when he heard the truth.63. to pass an authority for review, approval, etc.: The bill must clear through the assembly before it becomes legal.64. to remove dishes, food, etc., from a table following a meal: Is it my turn to clear?65. to remove previously inserted instructions or data from a computer, calculator, typewriter, or the like.66. Naut.a. to comply with customs and other requirements legally imposed on entering or leaving a port (often fol. by in or out).b. to leave port after having complied with such requirements.67. (of a commodity for sale) to sell out; become bought out: Wheat cleared rapidly.a. to remove in order to make room.b. to leave; escape: We were warned to clear off before the floods came.c. to disappear; vanish: When the smoke cleared away, we saw that the house was in ruins.69. clear out,a. to remove the contents of: Clear out the closet.b. to remove; take away: Clear out your clothes from the closet.c. to go away, esp. quickly or abruptly.d. to drive or force out: The police cleared out the pickets by force.70. clear up,a. to make clear; explain; solve.b. to put in order; tidy up.c. to become better or brighter, as the weather.n.71. a clear or unobstructed space.72. plaintext.73. a piece of clear lumber.a. absolved of blame or guilt; free: He was suspected of the theft, but evidence put him in the clear.[1250-1300; ME clere < AF, OF cler < L clarus]Syn. 1. fair, cloudless, sunny. 2. translucent, limpid, crystalline, diaphanous. 3. See clean. 8. intelligible, comprehensible, lucid, plain, perspicuous. 10. obvious, manifest, apparent, unmistakable. 17. unimpeded, unobstructed. 18. unhampered, unencumbered. 33. clarify, purify, refine. 42. exonerate, absolve, vindicate, excuse.
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Universalium. 2010.