English

clear

/ˈklɪə/

Transparent in colour.

Etymology graph

inherited
borrowed
derived
parts
meaning component
sound component
related

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Origin

From Middle English clere, from Anglo-Norman cler, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. Displaced native Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr (“clear, bright”)), Middle English skere (“clear, sheer”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr (“sheer, clear, pure”)), Middle English smolt (“clear (of mind), serene”) (from Old English smolt (“peaceful, serene”)). Cognate with Danish, German, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish klar, Dutch klaar, French clair, Italian chiaro, Portuguese claro, Romanian clar, Spanish claro.

From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Lineage

rootProto-Indo-European*kelh₁- “to call”
inheritedMiddle Englishclere
- derivedAnglo-Normancler
  - derivedOld Frenchcler
    - derivedLatinclarus “clear”
      - inheritedProto-Italic*klāros
        inheritedProto-Indo-European*kl̥h₁rós
      - derivedProto-Germanic*balþ “strong, bold”

Related: French clair, da,de,nb,nn,sv klar, Dutch klaar, Italian chiaro, Portuguese claro, Romanian clar, Spanish claro

Meanings

adj

Transparent in colour.
Bright; luminous; not dark or obscured.
Free of obstacles.
Without clouds.
Of the sky, such that less than one eighth of its area is obscured by clouds.
Free of ambiguity or doubt; easily understood.

adv

All the way; entirely.
Not near something or touching it.
Free (or separate) from others.
In a clear manner; plainly.

verb

To remove obstructions, impediments or other unwanted items from.
To remove (items or material) so as to leave something unobstructed or open.
To leave abruptly; to clear off or clear out.
To become free from obstruction or obscurement; to become transparent.
To eliminate ambiguity or doubt from (a matter); to clarify or resolve; to clear up.
To remove from suspicion, especially of having committed a crime.

noun

Empty or open area.
Full extent; distance between extreme limits; especially; the distance between the nearest surfaces of two bodies, or the space between walls.
The completion of a stage or challenge, or of the whole game.
A person who is free from the influence of engrams.

Sources

Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Wiktionary: clear