Obs. [= clean or cleanse-sieve. In same sense EFris. has klense, with vb. klensen to sift, filter.] A fine sieve or strainer.
1609. C. Butler, Fem. Mon. (1634), 157. Let the pure hive-honey run thorow a clean Clensieve. Ibid., x. (1623), X j. The Clensieue is vnto the Tap-waze for Methe, as the Strainer to the Ridder for Honie. (A correspondent, Mr. A. Wallis, remembers clensieve or clensiff, applied a. 1850 to a strainer of fine muslin, used in straining port wine.)
[Cf. c. 1460. Medulla, in Promp. Parv., 79. Colum … a clansynge syfe.
c. 1475. Pict. Vocab. (Wr.-Wülcker 808) among instruments of the Brewer, Colatorium, a clenyng sefe.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., 81. Clansing-sieve, a large sieve used in brewing to strain the hops from the wort.]
