Etymologically
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cleaner

Etymology and origin of the English word cleaner

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
mid-15th century

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkliː.nə/ (UK); /ˈkli.nɚ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is an agent noun from the verb clean, formed with -er.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who or that which cleans: the mid-15th century in Etymonline;[2] Merriam-Webster gives 1720,[3] and the OED's first quotation is from before 1792.[4]

Semantic evolution

A tool or machine for cleaning is from 1874,[4] and a shop that cleans clothes, a dry-cleaner, from 1873.[2][4] To take someone to the cleaners, to get all their money, is from 1921.[2] In biology a cleaner is a small marine animal that cleans larger ones of parasites, from 1955.[4] In West Yorkshire a cleaner was a small tool for cleaning the sand out of moulds.[5]

Timeline

  • mid-15th century – one who cleans.[2]
  • 1873 – a dry-cleaning shop.[2][4]
  • 1921 – take to the cleaners.[2]
  • 1955 – a cleaner fish.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person whose work is cleaning rooms, buildings or the like.
  2. A device, machine or chemical substance used for cleaning.
  3. A dry-cleaning shop, often in the plural.

Word family

  • air cleaner
  • dry cleaner
  • pipe cleaner
  • street cleaner
  • vacuum cleaner

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this entry

“Cleaner.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/cleaner. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·