clean bill of health

1. A doctor's report that a patient is in good physical health. Josie was relieved when she received a clean bill of health from her physician.2. An assurance that an organization or process is operating properly according to specific standards. Despite accusations that the company was responsible for polluting the lake, it received a clean bill of health from the environmental agency after a thorough investigation.See also: bill, clean, health, of

clean bill of health

A report confirming the absence of fault or guilt in a person or thing, as in Jeff checked every component and gave the computer a clean bill of health, or He had a foolproof alibi so the police had to give him a clean bill of health. This term comes from a 17th-century practice of requiring ships to produce a medical document ( bill) attesting to the absence of infectious disease on board before landing. See also: bill, clean, health, of

a clean bill of health

COMMON1. If someone is given or gets a clean bill of health, they are told that they are completely fit and healthy. He had a full medical late last year and was given a clean bill of health. Great Britain coach Mal Reilly, delighted to receive a clean bill of health for his 19-man squad, names his side today.2. If something is given or gets a clean bill of health, it is examined and then judged to be in a satisfactory condition. Fourteen seaside resorts failed to meet the environmental and safety standards, while 43 were given a clean bill of health. At the end of that intensive study, the chemical industry got an environmental clean bill of health. Note: A bill of health was a certificate which was given to a ship's master to present at the next port the ship arrived at. It stated whether or not there was an infectious disease aboard the ship or in the port it was departing from. See also: bill, clean, health, of

a clean bill of health

a declaration or confirmation that someone is healthy or something is in good condition. In the mid 18th century, a bill of health was an official certificate given to the master of a ship on leaving port; if clean , it certified that there was no infection either in the port or on board the vessel.See also: bill, clean, health, of

a clean bill of ˈhealth

a statement that somebody is well or something is in a satisfactory condition: The doctor’s given her a clean bill of health.A bill of health was an official document given to the captain of a ship when leaving a particular port that said that nobody on the ship carried any disease or infection.See also: bill, clean, health, of