Cleanse
/klɛnz/noun
To remove dirt, impurities, or unwanted substances from something.
Did you know?In Old English, cleansing could describe not only washing the body but also removing moral or spiritual impurity, linking the word to ritual concepts of purification.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*klainiz
“Clear, pure, or clean; the reconstructed Germanic source of the word family”
Old English
Old English
clæne
“Clean, pure, free from dirt or moral defilement”
Old English
Old English
clænsian
“To make clean or purify”
Middle English
Middle English
clensen
“To cleanse, wash, or purify”
14th Century
English
cle(n)sen
“To remove dirt or impurity from; also to purify morally”
Modern English
English
cleanse
“To clean or purify something”
Explore more surprising origins