adj. and adv. in comb.
1. a. With pa. pples., as clean-armed, -built, -made, -shaped, -shaved, -washed, etc. b. parasynthetic derivatives, as clean-complexioned, -conscienced, -faced, -grained (wood), -legged, etc. c. with present pple., as clean-feeding, -going, -looking, -sailing, -sweeping, etc.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 35/2. He was … of bodye myghtie, stronge, and cleane made.
1568. Fulwel, Like Will to Like, in Hazl., Dodsley, III. 329. A clean-legged gentleman.
1592. Daniel, Compl. Rosamond (1717), 43. My clean-arm’d Thoughts repell’d an unchast Lover.
1604. James I., Counterbl. (Arb.), 112. His delicate, wholesome, and cleane complexioned wife.
1708. Lond. Gaz., No. 4420/6. Clean-sailing Ships … were the first which came up with part of the Enemy’s Squadron.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), I. xxvi. 236. Master of such a clean-going frigate.
1787. Burns, Let. Nicol, 1 June. A clean-shankit … tight, weel-far’d winch.
1804. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), II. 182. This clean looking pretty bird.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 97. Clean-grained deal, perfectly free from knots.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, vi. A tall, clean-built chap.
1846. Commerc. Mag., Oct., 136. The over-wrought … zeal of some ‘clean-sweeping’ apologist.
1853. Hickie, trans. Aristoph. (1872), II. 634. The blanket … was clean-washed.
1878. Grosart, in H. More’s Poems, Introd. 40/2. A whole-hearted, clean-conscienced man.
1885. Black, White Heather, i. The … straight-limbed, clean-made figure of a man.
2. Special comb.: clean-bred a., of pure stock, thoroughbred; clean-cut, cut with smoothness and evenness of surface; hence, sharply outlined or defined; clean-fingered, with clean or nimble fingers; honest, scrupulous, nice; clean-handed, having clean hands, free from wrong-doing; hence clean-handedness; clean-limbed, shapely of limb, well-proportioned, lithe; clean-skins (Austral.), unbranded cattle; clean-timbered a., well-built, clean-limbed.
1882. Illustr. Sport. & Dram. News, 22 July, 451/3. A sleek-looking individual … by no means *clean-bred to look at.
1843. Lever, J. Hinton, vii. (1878), 45. The mouth whose *clean-cut lip … betokened birth.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 23. Rocks … cut through so as to expose clean-cut surfaces.
1883. Pall Mall Gaz., 15 Nov., 11/2. Canon Wilberforce … the cleanest-cut and the bravest Englishman on the temperance platform.
1558. Q. Kennedy, Compend. Treat., in Wodr. Soc. Misc. (1844), 119. Swa religious and *clene-fyngerit that thair wyl na thyng perswade thaim without testimony of Scripture.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 285. A worthy General of an Army … clean fingered, without Bribery or corruption.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat., I. 101. All the figures that any clean-fingered damsel can cut out of it.
1728. Gay, Begg. Op., I. iii. A mighty *clean-handed fellow.
1779. Hist. Europe, in Ann. Reg. (1780), 81/1. The noble minister … was said to be clean-handed in the most eminent degree.
1887. Athenæum, 3 Dec., 744/3. Practical reform and real *clean-handedness in politics.
1461–83. in Househ. Ord. (1790), 39. Any chylde … of clene byrthe, *clene lymmed.
1657. R. Ligon, Barbadoes (1673), 3. Many of them [Horses] very strong and clean limb’d.
1725. Lond. Gaz., No. 6387/2. A well set clean limb’d Man.
1881. A. C. Grant, Bush-Life Queensland, I. xv. 209. All hands are anxious to try their luck with the *clean-skins.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 642. I thinke Hector was not so *cleane timber’d. His legge is too big for Hector.
