I. ˈklenziŋ, -zēŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English clensing, from gerund of clensen to cleanse
1. : the action or an act of cleansing ; especially : moral or spiritual purification
2. : the afterbirth and sometimes also the fetal membranes of a domesticated mammal — usually used in plural
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English clensing, from present participle of clensen to cleanse
: serving to dispel (as shams or illusions)
a mordant … wit which is at once cleansing and devastating — H.G.Laski
or to relieve (as emotional tension)
how often during my life have I turned back and back to the cleansing comfort of technique — Agnes de Mille