clearing

[kleer-ing]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that clears; the process of becoming clear.

2. a tract of land, as in a forest, that contains no trees or bushes.

3. the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences.

4. clearings, the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse.

clearing

/ ˈklɪərɪŋ /

noun

1. an area with few or no trees or shrubs in wooded or overgrown land

Other Word Forms

• unclearing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of clearing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, clearing is from the Middle English word clering. See clear, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

We emerge into a clearing where a 12ft high border fence appears, topped with barbed wire, equipped with sensors and cameras to detect illegal crossings.

From BBC

The report said this would lead to false positives, clearing children for accounts, and false negatives, barring users who should be allowed.

From BBC

So Rodgers has a whole lot of work to do in clearing out the myriad of players in his squad that are not good enough while bringing in new blood.

From BBC

Before dawn, he would pedal out there on an old bicycle, clearing weeds and feeding cows, the world silent except for the rustle of palm leaves.

From Los Angeles Times

Poor farmers were still clearing vast areas of trees, and as their environment collapsed around them, so did the local population of golden snubbed-nosed monkeys, dropping below 500 in the wild.

From BBC

Related Words

• clearance 
• expanse