[f. CLEAR v. + -ER.]
1. One who or that which clears (in various senses of the vb.).
1599. Broughton’s Lett., 46. Desire not to bee a cleerer of S. Peter rather then his hearer.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Praise Cleane Linnen, Ded. Cleanser, Clearer and Reformer of deformed and polluted Linnen.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 239, ¶ 11. Gold is a wonderful Clearer of the Understanding; it dissipates every Doubt and Scruple in an Instant.
1769. Lloyd’s Evening Post, 27–30 Oct., 410/3. Milk of Roses … the most friendly Preserver and Clearer of the Skin.
1829. Marryat, F. Mildmay, xiii. These Irish people would make good clearers of his land.
2. Techn. a. Salt-making. A tank or reservoir used in condensing salt from brine.
1682. J. Collins, Salt & Fishery, 51. The Brine is by a Windmill-Pump conveyed into large Wooden Vessels, standing adjacent to the Boyling House called Clearers.
1863. H. J. Slack, in Intell. Observ., IV. 94. The visitors to Lymington … find it [the brine shrimp] abundantly in the tanks or reservoirs, called clearers.
b. Spinning. A revolving roller with wire brushes which strips cotton, wool, etc., off the carding cylinder.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, III. 872. The mechanism within the clearer … by which the brushes are caused to travel is simple and solid.
1879. J. Robertson, Cotton-Spin., in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 274/1. To prevent them from being choked with cotton, each of them is brushed or cleared by smaller rollers, called clearers.
c. Rope-making.
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, 54. Clearer, a Tool similar to the hatchell, but with finer teeth, as the hemp is … finished on it for lines and twines, for sail-makers, &c.
