clearance

plural clearances

1. countableuncountableThe act of clearing or something (such as a space) cleared.

   In conclusion, it must be reiterated that effective snow clearance is largely a matter of forward planning and departmental co-operation.

   1960 January 28, M. Harbottle, “Maintaining Services after Heavy Snowfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 12

2. countableuncountableThe distance between two moving objects, especially between parts of a machine
3. countableuncountableThe height or width of a tunnel, bridge or other passage, or the distance between a vehicle and the walls or roof of such passage; a gap, headroom.

   Clearance on these freeway overpasses is limited, so big trucks must detour.

   3 more examples

   When the scheme is completed, the 99-year-old swing bridge over the canal will be dispensed with as the new bridge will have sufficient height to allow clearance for the passage of canal traffic.

   1954 February, “Notes and News: Deviation at Bramwith”, in Railway Magazine, page 137

   To obtain the required overhead clearance at Stockport, it will be necessary to open out the Edgeley tunnels.

   1958 July 28, “Bridge Reconstruction for L.M.R. Electrification”, in Railway Magazine, page 488

   Piggybacking introduced severe clearance problems for many railroads.

   1960 November, David Morgan, “""Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, page 684

4. countableuncountableA permission for a vehicle to proceed, or for a person to travel.

   The plane got clearance from air traffic control, and we were off.

   1 more example

   He got clearance to travel to America, even though he had previous links to terrorists.

5. countableuncountableA permission to have access to sensitive or secret documents or other information.

   1 more example

   In a thread called “Calm Before the Storm”, and in subsequent posts, Q established his legend as a government insider with top security clearance who knew the truth about a secret struggle for power involving Donald Trump, the “deep state”, Robert Mueller, the Clintons, pedophile rings, and other stuff.

   2018 July 31, Julia Carrie Wong, “What is QAnon? Explaining the bizarre rightwing conspiracy theory”, in The Guardian

6. countableuncountableA permission to use something, usually intellectual property, that is legally, but not otherwise, protected.
7. countableuncountablebusinessA sale of merchandise, especially at significantly reduced prices, usually in order to make room for new merchandise or updated versions of the same merchandise; sometimes as a closeout.
8. countableuncountablebankingThe settlement of transactions involving securities or means of payment such as checks by means of a clearing house.
9. countableuncountablemedicineThe removal of harmful substances from the blood; renal clearance.
10. countableuncountableball gamesThe act of potting all the remaining balls on a table at one visit.
11. countableuncountableball gamesThe act of kicking a ball away from the goal one is defending.

    Bolton were then just inches from taking the lead, but the dangerous-looking Taylor drilled just wide after picking up a loose ball following Jose Bosingwa's poor attempted clearance.

    2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC

    Synonyms: clearing

12. countableuncountableboard gamesRemoval of pieces from a rank, file or diagonal so that a bishop, rook or queen is free to move along it.
13. countableuncountableClear or net profit.

    There can, I believe, be no doubt of this, that sugar can be made better and cheaper in large quantities than in small. But the clearance, sir; that is the question. How would this affect the clearance? The sugar manufacturer would want his profit.

    1859, Anthony Trollope, The West Indies and the Spanish Main

14. countableuncountableAustralian rules footballThe first disposal in a chain that leaves the area of a stoppage, or a disposal that leaves the area of a stoppage itself.
15. countableuncountableAustralian rules footballThe act of leaving the area of a stoppage.