Word
cleaner
Phoneticsclean·er
US/ˈkɫinɝ/
UK/klˈiːnɐ/
Definitions
01a person who cleans
n. someone whose job is to clean houses, offices, or other buildings.
n. a person employed to maintain the cleanliness of a domestic or commercial environment.
“The office cleaner arrives at six in the evening after everyone else has gone home.”
“The school employs a dedicated team of cleaners to ensure the classrooms are sanitised every night before the students return.”
02a cleaning substance
n. a liquid or powder used to remove dirt from surfaces like floors or windows.
n. a chemical substance or preparation formulated for removing dirt, grease, or stains from inanimate objects.
“You should use a special glass cleaner to get the mirrors really shiny.”
“The industrial-strength cleaner proved effective at removing the stubborn oil stains that had accumulated on the garage floor over several years.”
03a cleaning machine
n. a machine used for cleaning, most commonly a vacuum cleaner.
n. an apparatus or device designed to perform a cleaning function, typically mechanical.
“I need to empty the dust bag in the vacuum cleaner before I finish the rug.”
“The new robotic cleaner navigates the living room automatically, detecting obstacles and adjusting its path to ensure every corner is reached.”
04the dry cleaners
n. a shop where you take clothes to be professionally washed or dry-cleaned.
n. an establishment where clothing and fabrics are professionally laundered or dry-cleaned; usually used in the plural.
“I have to pick up my suit from the cleaners before the wedding on Saturday.”
“She dropped her silk dress off at the cleaners, requesting a rush service so it would be ready for the evening gala.”
Usage
Usually used in the plural form 'the cleaners'.
Synonyms
05a fixer
n. a person who is hired to hide evidence of a crime or clean up a mess for criminals.
n. a person hired to dispose of incriminating evidence or bodies, typically in a criminal context.
“In the movie, they called a cleaner to make sure the police found no fingerprints.”
“The thriller depicts the cold efficiency of a professional cleaner who specialises in erasing all traces of high-profile crimes before the authorities arrive.”
Slang · Informal
Synonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English clener, clenere, equivalent to clean + -er (agent noun suffix).
Inherited from Middle English clener, clenner, clanner, clannere, from Old English clǣnra, clǣnre (“cleaner, purer, clearer”), from Proto-West Germanic klainiʀō (“daintier, more delicate”), from Proto-Germanic klainizô (“shinier, finer, more splendid”), equivalent to clean + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Idioms
take to the cleaners — To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through overcharging, litigation, unfavorable investing, gambling, fraud, etc.