καθαίρω

Etymology
From.

Verb

 * 1) to make clean, to clean, cleanse
 * 2) to clear, purify; to purify from
 * 3)  to purify
 * 4)  to purify oneself
 * 5)  to purge
 * 6)  to remove growth from a plant, prune
 * 7) to sift

Usage notes
Definitions #1 and #2 can be used in a variety of senses including medical, ethical, spiritual, house-cleaning, etc.

The object may be the thing that one is cleaning, or the thing that is being removed by cleaning.