clear

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
clear/klɪə(r)/

▶adjective

• 1 easy to perceive or understand.

  ■ leaving or feeling no doubt: it was clear that they were in a trap.

• 2 transparent; unclouded.

  ■ free of mist; having good visibility.

  ■ (of a person's skin) free from blemishes.

  ■ (of a colour) pure and intense.

• 3 free of any obstructions or unwanted objects: a clear view in both directions.

  ■ (of a period of time) free of any commitments.

• 4 free from disease, contamination, or guilt.

• 5 (clear of) not touching; away from.

• 6 complete: seven clear days' notice.

  ■ (of a sum of money) net.

▶adverb

• 1 so as to be out of the way of, away from, or uncluttered by.

• 2 with clarity.

▶verb

• 1 make or become clear.

  ■ cause people to leave (a building or place).

  ■ chiefly Soccer send (the ball) away from the area near one's goal.

  ■ discharge (a debt).

• 2 get past or over (something) safely or without touching it: the plane rose high enough to clear the trees.

• 3 show or declare officially to be innocent.

• 4 give official approval or authorization to or for.

  ■ satisfy the necessary requirements to pass through (customs).

  ■ (with reference to a cheque) pass through a clearing house so that the money goes into the payee's account.

• 5 earn or gain (an amount of money) as a net profit.

• 6 (of a person's face or expression) assume a happier or less confused aspect.

– phrases
clear the air

• 1 make the air less humid.

• 2 defuse a tense situation by frank discussion.

clear the decks prepare for something by dealing beforehand with anything that might hinder progress.
clear one's lines chiefly Rugby make a kick sending the ball well upfield from near one's own goal line.
in clear not in code.
in the clear no longer in danger or under suspicion.
out of a clear sky as a complete surprise.

– phrasal verbs
clear away remove the remains of a meal from the table.
clear off informal go away.
clear out informal leave quickly.
clear something out empty something.
clear up

• 1 (of a medical condition) become cured.

• 2 (of the weather) become brighter; stop raining.

clear something up

• 1 (also clear up) tidy something up by removing unwanted items.

• 2 solve or explain something.

• 3 cure a medical condition.

– derivatives
clearable adjective,
clearness noun.

– origin ME: from OFr. cler, from L. clarus.