Definition of: cleanse

(klenz) v.t. cleansed, cleans·ing
To free from dirt or defilement; clean; purge. [OE clænsian <clæne clean]
—cleans′er noun Synonyms: brush, clean, disinfect, dust, mop, purify, rinse, scour, scrub, sponge, sweep, wash, wipe. Cleanse implies a worse condition to start from, and more to do, than clean; as, Hercules cleansed the Augean stables. Cleanse and purify are used extensively in a moral sense; wash in that sense is archaic. See AMEND, PURIFY. Antonyms: befoul, besmear, besmirch, bespatter, contaminate, corrupt, debase, defile, deprave, pollute, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, vitiate.