Search the Dictionary

To free from accusation, or the imputation of fault or blame; to clear from guilt; to release from a charge; to justify by extenuating a fault; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit. A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practicing it, if really and indeed it be against Gog's law. Abp…

ch others are subject; excepted from the operation or burden of some law; released; free; clear; privileged; -- (with from): not subject to; not liable to; as, goods exempt from execution; a person exempt from jury service. True nobility is exempt from fear. Shak. T is laid on all, not any one exempt. Dryden.…

elieve, in a moral sense, as of a charge, obligation, or load of blame resting on one; to clear of something that lies upon oppresses one, as an accusation or imputation; as, to exonerate one's self from blame, or from the charge of avarice. Burke.

To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the meaning of; as, to explain a chapter of the Bible. Commentators to explain the difficult passages to you. Gay. To explain away, to get rid of by explanation. "Those explain the meaning quite "away." Pope.…

The act of explaining, expounding, or interpreting; the act of clearing from obscurity and making intelligible; as, the explanation of a passage in Scripture, or of a contract or treaty.

To unfold the meaning or sense of; to explain; to clear of difficulties or obscurity; to interpret. The last verse of his last satire is not yet sufficiently explicated. Dryden.

conveyed by implication; distinctly stated; plain in language; open to the understanding; clear; not obscure or ambiguous; express; unequivocal; as, an explicit declaration. The language of the charter was too explicit to admit of a doubt. Bancroft.

In an explicit manner; clearly; plainly; without disguise or reservation of meaning; not by inference or implication; as, he explicitly avows his intention.

The quality of being explicit; clearness; directness. Jer. Taylor.

To lay open the meaning of; to explain; to clear of obscurity; to interpret; as, to expound a text of Scripture, a law, a word, a meaning, or a riddle. Expound this matter more fully to me. Bunyan.

lared in terms; not implied or left to inference; made unambiguous by intention and care; clear; not dubious; as, express consent; an express statement. I have express commandment. Shak.

To purify; to clear from anything noxious, offensive, or erroneous; to cleanse; to purge; as, to expurgate a book.

Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin. The northern people large and fair-complexioned. Sir M. Hale.

In a fairmanner; clearly; openly; plainly; fully; distinctly; frankly. Even the nature of Mr. Dimmesdale's disease had never fairly been revealed to him. Hawthorne.

scent. Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled, With much ado, the cold fault cleary out. Shak.

Cleared land; land suitable for tillage or pasture; cultivated ground; the open country.

Freedom from foreign matter or alloy; clearness; purity; as, the fineness of liquor. The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion. Shak.

ting surface. -- Fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc. Farrow. -- Fire teaser, in England, the fireman of a steam emgine. -- Fire water, ardent spirits; -- so called by the American Indians. -- Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevail…

Clear; unmistakable; peremptory; absolute; positive; downright. Flat burglary as ever was committed. Shak. A great tobacco taker too, -- that's flat. Marston.

To play, whistle, or sing with a clear, soft note, like that of a flute. Knaves are men, That lute and flute fantastic tenderness. Tennyson. The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee. Emerson.