to clean (something) off
1
1.0
- phrasal verb
- /klin ɔf/
:
limpiar
- I need to clean off the dust from the shelves before guests arrive.
Examples
-
She used a cloth to clean off the spills on the kitchen counter.
-
Adam, clean off the table.
-
Hey, Vito, clean off the table for Jade.
-
He pulled off his soiled items and used their clean portions to wipe off the blood that remained on him, with the help of some water Nona conjured.
Fiction book (1992) -
After the storm, we had to clean off the leaves that covered the patio.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To remove dirt and stains
433
1.0
To make a room or area free of dirt and tidy by removing mess
227
1.0
To clean a floor or surface by brushing away dirt with a broom
83
1.0
To wash something with water to remove soap or dirt
66
1.0
To remove small dry particles from a surface by wiping or brushing
37
1.0
To clean a floor with a long handle and wet cloth
33
2.1
Water or another liquid carries something away
33
3.0
Remove dirt and germs from a person's body by washing
31
1.0
To remove something from a surface by washing with water or soap
28
2.0
To remove something from a surface by moving a cloth over it, like tears or dirt
27
4.0
Remove an outside layer or covering from something to show what is under it
20
1.0
Remove dirt or marks from a surface by rubbing with a cloth
16
3.8
To get rid of something completely so it no longer exists
10
1.6
To wash something with water to remove soap or dirt
10
1.8
To take things away from a place to make it tidy
9
2.0
Clean something using water to remove dirt or stains
8
1.8
To clean a surface using a cloth or towel to remove a spill
8
3.0
Remove things from a surface to make it empty or clean
5
3.4
Come off a surface when something moves against it
5
2.6
To remove liquid or dirt from a floor with a cloth
3
5.2
To rub a surface with a small rough tool to remove something
1
2.5
To remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard with a brush
1
2.9
Get rid of a mark on clothes or other things by cleaning
1
2.2
To remove dirt or leaves from a place using a broom
1
4.7
To remove the top layer of something by rubbing it with sandpaper
To rub a surface with a wet sponge to clean it
To clean something very well by scrubbing or washing
Remove marks or stains from a surface so it looks clean
To clean dust and dirt from something using quick movements
How Clean
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to remove dirt or an unwanted substance from a surface' is directly derivable from combining 'clean' (to wash or remove grime) with the particle 'off' which indicates removal/separation. This verb + particle composition is a common, compositional pattern in English (and mirrored in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Clean (something) off comes from the simple image of wiping or scraping dirt so it falls 'off' the surface, with the action moving the mess away from the object. That's why it means 'to remove dirt or an unwanted substance from a surface'.