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Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging. The task of ablution and abstersion being performed. Sir W. Scott.

Cleansing; purging. Bacon.

and grass in marshy grounds in Galatia. It is soft and porous, and was formerly used for cleansing the skin from freckles and tetters, and also in leprosy. Dana.

of cloth, leather, or other stuff, worn on the fore part of the body, to keep the clothes clean, to defend them from injury, or as a covering. It is commonly tied at the waist by strings.

One who has the care of arms and armor, cleans or repairs them, etc.

or pertaining to Augeus, king of Elis, whose stable contained 3000 oxen, and had not been cleaned for 30 years. Hercules cleansed it in a single day.

An instrument for cleansing the ear, consisting of a small piece of sponge on an ivory or bone handle.

To clean the oil from (wood) after combing.

The act of exposing the body, or part of the body, for purposes of cleanliness, comfort, health, etc., to water, vapor, hot air, or the like; as, a cold or a hot bath; a medicated bath; a steam bath; a hip bath.

er and more volatile hydrocarbons of petroleum or kerosene oil, used as a solvent and for cleansing soiled fabrics; -- called also petroleum spirit, petroleum benzine. Varieties or similar products are gasoline, naphtha, rhigolene, ligroin, etc.

scid substance, usually made of the middle bark of the holly, by boiling, fermenting, and cleansing it. When a twig is smeared with this substance it will hold small birds which may light upon it. Hence: Anything which insnares. Not birdlime or Idean pitch produce A more tenacious mass of clammy juice. Dryden.…

One who, or that which, blanches or whitens; esp., one who anneals and cleanses money; also, a chemical preparation for this purpose.

The cleaning of the flues of a boiler from scale, etc., by a blast of steam.

r by pressure, as for increasing the draft of a furnace, ventilating a building or shaft, cleansing gram, etc.

res without effacing; a stain; a blot, as upon paper or other substance. As for those who cleanse blurs with blotted fingers, they make it worse. Fuller.

the action of heat in a boiling liquid so as to produce some specific effect, as cooking, cleansing, etc.; as, to boil meat; to boil clothes. The stomach cook is for the hall, And boileth meate for them all. Gower.

e one). -- Bone ash, the residue from calcined bones; -- used for making cupels, and for cleaning jewelry. -- Bone black (Chem.), the black, carbonaceous substance into which bones are converted by calcination in close vessels; -- called also animal charcoal. It is used as a decolorizing material in filtering sirups,…

gh a roof. Boot catcher, the person at an inn whose business it was to pull off boots and clean them. [Obs.] Swift. -- Boot closer, one who, or that which, sews the uppers of boots. -- Boot crimp, a frame or device used by bootmakers for drawing and shaping the body of a boot. -- Boot hook, a hook with a handle, use…

A servant at a hotel or elsewhere, who cleans and blacks the boots and shoes.

Utensils, ornaments, or other articles of brass. The very scullion who cleans the brasses. Hopkinson.