Housecleans

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Thoroughly tidies and scrubs the rooms, floors and surfaces of a home, often as a regular chore or service
2. Carries out the full cleaning of a residence, dusting, vacuuming and tidying every room in turn
3. Gives a home a complete clean by sweeping, washing and putting things in order throughout the building

Etymology: "Housecleans" is the third-person singular present form of "houseclean," so its history is that of the verb it comes from. "Houseclean" is a plain compound of "house" and "clean," joining the ordinary English noun for a dwelling with the adjective meaning free of dirt. The pairing describes exactly what it names: cleaning the interior of a home, as opposed to cleaning a street, a ship, or a body. Because the parts are so transparent, the verb has no hidden story to uncover. Its meaning follows directly from its two halves, and the form ending in "-s" simply marks the present tense used with "he," "she," or "it," as in "she housecleans every Saturday."