clearing

/ˈklɪərɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈklɪrɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈklir-iŋ/ (ame, mw)

clearing — noun

  • clearingsingular
  • clearingsplural

1. an open area inside a forest where the trees and other plants have been removed,

1.名詞B1
釋義

an open area inside a forest where the trees and other plants have been removed, so that the ground is bare and sunlight can reach it.

例句

Leila and her brother ran into a sunny clearing, where they could finally see the open sky.

collocation: forest clearing / ran into a clearing

Deep in the woods, the hikers found a quiet clearing surrounded by tall oak trees.

passive past participle: surrounded by [trees]

同義詞
  • glade

    more literary or poetic; often suggests a smaller, prettier, sunnier open area in a forest

  • opening

    more general; can refer to any gap or space in any surface, not limited to forests

  • gap

    narrower than a clearing; implies a break between two things rather than a distinct open area

反義詞
  • thicket

    a dense group of bushes or small trees — the opposite of an open, cleared space

常見錯誤

❌We had a picnic in a clearing in the middle of the city.
✅We had a picnic in a clearing in the middle of the forest.
💡A clearing is specifically an open area inside a woodland or forest, not any empty space in a city or town.

2. a process in the UK that takes place in late summer, during which universities o

2.名詞B2
釋義

a process in the UK that takes place in late summer, during which universities offer places on courses that were not fully filled to students who do not yet have a confirmed place at any university.

例句

After getting lower A-level results than expected, Aiko logged onto the UCAS website and found an open spot through Clearing.

compound verb: logged onto...and found / through Clearing

Manchester Metropolitan University still has fifteen places left on its civil engineering courses through Clearing this August.

collocation: places left on [course] through Clearing

用法筆記

This sense refers specifically to the UK university admissions system. 'Clearing' is often capitalized when it refers to this official process. It is not used in other countries' education systems.

常見錯誤

❌I applied through Clearing before taking my final exams.
✅I applied through Clearing after I received my exam results in August.
💡Clearing only operates once official exam results have been released, typically in mid-August in the UK.
❌The American university uses Clearing to fill its remaining places.
✅The UK university uses Clearing to fill its remaining places.
💡Clearing is a system specific to the United Kingdom and is not used by American universities.