clarify, v.
(ˈklærɪfaɪ)
Also: 4–5 clare-, 5 clery-, 5–6 clary-.
[a. OF. clarifier (12th c.), clarefier, clerefier (the last two partially popularized), ad. late L. clārificāre to make clear, f. clārus clear + -ficāre: see -fy.]
To make clear, to clear.
† 1. trans. To free from darkness or gloom; to light up, illumine; to brighten. Obs.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. lxx. (Tollem. MS.), Pouder þerof confecte in hony clarefyeþ and hyȝteþ þe face [ed. 1495 claryfyeth and maketh the face fayr]. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas (1554), As Phebus..the day doth clarefie. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis iv. (Arb.) 94 Phœbus dyd clarifye brightlye Thee world with luster. 1597 Greene Alphonsus (1861) 234 Thou second sun..Dost clarify each corner of the earth. 1696 Whiston The. Earth iv. (1722) 332 The Light had been..Clarifying this dark and thick Atmosphere for more than five compleat Years. |
b. fig. To make clear (an obscure subject).
| 1823 Monthly Rev. C. 529 The subject is so little exhausted, and the learning of M. Champollion is so well adapted to clarify its obscurity, that, etc. 1841 Myers Cath. Th. iii. §13. 50 It cannot but greatly simplify and clarify the subject. 1865 Mill Hamilton's Philos. 522 Mathematical and scientific studies, which his subsequent metaphysical pursuits enabled him..to clarify and reduce to principles. |
† 2. fig. To make illustrious or glorious; to exalt, glorify. [Chiefly repr. clārificāre of the Vulgate.]
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xix. 1 Day of anguys in the whilke þou sayd fadere clarifie þi sun. 1382 Wyclif John xii. 27–8 Fadir, clarifie thi name..I haue clarified, and eft I schal clarifie. ― 1 Esdras viii. 25 Blessid be the Lord God of oure fadris, that ȝaf this wil in to the herte of the king, to clarifien his hous, that is in Jerusalem. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 27/2 Whan Jhesu cryst was baptysed and also whan he was clarefyed. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. i. viii. 113 It was necessary his person should be..so clarified by great concurrencies..as might gain credit to the testimony he was to give. |
3. To make pure and clear, or clean (physically, also morally); to free from all impurities; to clear.
| c 1430 Hymns Virg. (1867) 40 It clarifieþ þi soule. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 442/3 Lord I praye the that the..precious blood that I haue taken..wyl in suche manere clarefye that none ordure or fylthe..may remayne or abyde wythin me. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. i. (1883) I. 6 The fire, whiche is most pure of elementes..doth clarifie the other inferiour elementes. 1589 Nashe Anat. Absurditie 13 The water is cleane, and of nature fitte to clarifie euerie part of the body. 1652 Persuasive to Compliance 37 If the possession of the Crowne..expunge the grossest spots yet found in any that wore it; may it not as well clarifie a republick from any imputation? 1683 Pettus Fleta Min. i. (1686) 162 It [nitre] is first to be clarified and purified from its salt. 1793 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Ep. Pope Wks. 1812 III. 206 Heaven wants not fire to clarify the dead. |
b. spec. To make clear and pure (a liquid or liquefied substance); to render pellucid; to free from all impurities or extraneous matters held in suspension; to defecate or fine. Also fig.
| c 1430 15th C. Cookery Bks. 35 Take fayre Honey, and clarifi yt on þe fyre tylle it wexe hard. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 433 Poured out of one vessell into another, and so by setling clarified from the grounds. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. ii. xviii. 116 Their Yeomen are excluded from ever rising higher to clarifie their bloode. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 74 Tincture of Brasil wood..in luke-warm water, filter it, and clarifie it. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 141 Strain, clarifie with the White of an Egg, and thicken. 1769 Mrs. Raffald Eng. Housekpr. (1778) 49 To clarify butter. 1843 J. A. Smith Product. Farming (ed. 2) 35 A substitute for the white of eggs in clarifying the juice of the sugar-cane. |
c. To clear (the air or atmosphere); to free from mists and vapours. Also fig. and transf.
| 1620 Venner Via Recta Introd. 5 The sunne..doth excellently clarifie, and purge the aire of them. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. viii. lviii. 532 The occasional rare sound of hoofs and wheels seeming to clarify the succeeding silence. 1879 M{supc}Carthy Own Times I. 16 The country was in general disposed to think that the accession of a woman to the throne would somewhat clarify and purify the atmosphere of the Court. 1884 Chr. World 10 Apr. 268/5 Mr. Gladstone's speech..and the decisive vote that followed, have wonderfully clarified the political atmosphere. |
d. fig. To clear (the mind, etc.) from ignorance, misconception, or error; to rectify.
| 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. 100 (T.) Many boys are muddy-headed, till they be clarified with age. 1659 Evelyn Mem. (1857) III. 108 Hope that God..will at last compassionate our infirmities, clarify our judgments. 1776 Johnson in Boswell Apr. 26 He never clarified his notions, by filtrating them through other minds. 1851 Robertson Serm. Ser. ii. viii. (1864) 109 A pure life will clarify the intellect. 1869 Lecky Europ. Mor. I. ii. 342 By these means he endeavoured to clarify the popular creed. |
4. To make clear (the sight, eyes, or mental vision); to clear (the voice, etc.).
| c 1525 Skelton Bk. 3 Foles 27 Claryfye here your syghte. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 12 To clarifie y⊇ voice, and to helpe them that be hoarse. 1585 Lloyd Treas. Health C viij, Oyle of Cartamus..of sisami, do clarifie the voice. 1631 Quarles Div. Poems, Samson (1717) 275 Lord, clarifie mine eyes, that I may know Things that are good. a 1853 Robertson Lect. (1858) 208 A man's eyes..clarified by the power which enables him to look beyond the visible. |
† 5. To set forth clearly, declare. Obs.
| c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 617 To claryfy þe powere of Goddus myȝt. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 67 A word to you I wold cleryfy. Ibid. 300 From heven tille erthe thou me sent Thi name to preche and claryfy. |
6. intr. (for refl.) To be made or become clear; to clear, in various senses.
| 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 158/1 Let this stande a whole night because it might settle, and clarify. 1625 Bacon Ess., Friendship (Arb.) 175 His Wits and Vnderstanding doe clarifie and breake vp, in..discoursing with Another. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) I. iv. lvii. 265 Springs of hot water..very thick..but it soon clarifies. 1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 626 The heat is then withdrawn, and the liquid left to clarify. 1870 Lowell Study Wind. (1886) 142 Emerson..has clarified steadily towards perfection of style. |