a clean slate

A fresh start

a clean sweep

1. A complete change
2. The winning or gaining of all the prizes, votes, etc (usu with of)

clean as a whistle

1. Very clean or cleanly
2. Completely emptied

clean bowled (cricket)

Dismissed by a ball which hits the stumps without hitting the bat or pad

clean out

1. To clean the inside of
2. To take away all someone's money from (someone) (informal)

clean up

1. To make clean
2. To free from vice, corruption, etc
3. To make (large profits) (cleanˈ-up noun and adjective)

clean up one's act (informal)

To reform one's behaviour or bad practices

come clean (slang)

To confess or divulge everything

have clean hands

To have no connection with a crime or immoral act

make a clean break

To sever a relationship, etc completely

show a clean pair of heels

To run away

take (someone) to the cleaners (slang)

1. To take all, or a great deal of, a person's money, etc
2. To beat or criticize (someone) severely

slate¹ /slāt/

1. A fine-grained argillaceous rock which by regional metamorphism has developed a cleavage along close-spaced planes independent of the bedding, usu a dull blue, grey, purple, or green
2. A slab of this material (or a substitute) for roofing, or for writing on with chalk
3. A preliminary list (eg of political candidates; esp N American)
4. Slate-colour

1. Of slate
2. Slate-coloured, dull bluish-grey

1. To cover with slate or slates
2. To enter on a slate
3. To clear (hide) of fine hair with a slater
4. To enter on a list
5. To note down for nomination or appointment (US)
6. To propose
7. To schedule (US)

slatˈed adjective

Covered with slates

slatˈer noun

1. A person who covers roofs with slates
2. A tool with a slate blade for removing fine hair from hides
3. A woodlouse (Scot and N Eng dialect, Aust and NZ)

slatˈiness noun

slatˈing noun

1. Covering with slates
2. A covering of slates
3. Materials for slating

slatˈy adjective

Of or like slate

slate axe noun

A slater's sax

slate club noun

An informally organized communal fund to which members contribute regularly, as insurance against hard times or savings towards eg Christmas expenses

slateˈ-coloured adjective

Dull bluish-grey

slate-greyˈ or -grayˈ adjective

Of a light slate colour

slate pencil noun

A cut or turned stick of soft slate, compressed slate powder, or pyrophyllite, for writing on slate

slateˈ-writer noun

slateˈ-writing noun

In spiritualism, the mysterious process of producing writing on a covered slate

slaty cleavage noun (geology)

Fissility like that of slate along planes independent of bedding

a clean slate see under clean

a slate loose (informal)

A slight mental derangement

on the slate (informal)

On credit

wipe the slate clean

To allow a person to make a fresh start in a job, relationship, etc by ignoring past mistakes, crimes, etc