clearance

[kleer-uh ns] /ˈklɪər əns/
noun
1.
the act of clearing.
2.
the distance between two objects; an amount of clear space:
The bridge allowed a clearance of 37 feet at mean high water.
3.
a formal authorization permitting access to classified information, documents, etc.
4.
Also called clearance sale. the disposal of merchandise at reduced prices to make room for new goods:
He bought the coat for half price at a clearance.
5.
a clear space; a clearing:
The house stood in a clearance among the trees.
6.
Banking. an exchange of checks and other commercial paper drawn on members of a clearinghouse, usually effected at a daily meeting of the members.
7.
Machinery. a space between two moving parts, left to avoid clashing or to permit relatively free motion.
8.
the angle between a face of a cutting tool, as a lathe tool, and the work.
9.
Nautical.
  1. the clearing of a ship at a port.
  2. Also called clearance papers. the official papers certifying this.
10.
Medicine/Medical. a test of the excretory function of the kidneys based on the volume of blood that is cleared of a specific substance per minute by renal excretion.
Origin
1555-65; clear + -ance
Related forms
clearer, noun
nonclearance, noun
preclearance, noun, adjective
self-clearance, noun
Examples from the web for clearance
  • They say the clearance beneath the tracks often varies from that posted on the signs, sometimes by as much as an inch.
  • US citizen with an active security clearance at a secret level or eligibility to obtain one.
  • But since customs officers now actually check the paperwork, clearance takes up to three times longer.
  • clearance items and overstocks in all of our departments.
  • The main danger for these animals is animal clearance and the residents in the area of mission beach.
  • The wraparound counter of a corner work center combines good design and wheelchair clearance.
  • Or wait until they show up in some dime-store clearance sale.
  • It may also be used as part of the creatinine clearance test.
  • Keep in mind that research involving humans involves a strict clearance process, which takes time.
  • Nobody without security clearance was allowed within three kilometres of the conference venue.
British Dictionary definitions for clearance

clearance

/ˈklɪərəns/
noun
1.
  1. the process or an instance of clearing: slum clearance
  2. (as modifier): a clearance order
2.
space between two parts in motion or in relative motion
3.
permission for an aircraft, ship, passengers, etc, to proceed
4.
official permission to have access to secret information, projects, areas, etc
5.
(banking) the exchange of commercial documents drawn on the members of a clearing house
6.
  1. the disposal of merchandise at reduced prices
  2. (as modifier): a clearance sale
7.
(sport)
  1. the act of hitting or kicking a ball out of the defensive area, as in football
  2. an instance of this
8.
the act of clearing an area of land of its inhabitants by mass eviction See Highland Clearances
9.
(dentistry) the extraction of all of a person's teeth
10.
a less common word for clearing
Word Origin and History for clearance
n.

1560s, "action of clearing," from clear (v.) + -ance. Meaning "a clear space" is from 1788. Meaning "approval, permission" (especially to land or take off an aircraft) is from 1944, American English; national security sense recorded from 1948. Clearance sale attested by 1843.

clearance in Medicine

clearance clear·ance (klēr'əns)
n.
The removal of a substance from the blood, expressed as the volume of blood or plasma cleared of the substance per unit time.