hygiene

Everyday

Hygiene is keeping yourself and the things around you clean to stay healthy and stop germs spreading. tree →

In the lessons

In health and science lessons, hygiene means washing hands with soap (especially after the toilet and before eating), brushing teeth, bathing, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping food and kitchens clean. Good hygiene stops the spread of germs and illness. Phrases: personal hygiene, hand hygiene, food hygiene, dental hygiene, good hygiene.

Examples

• Washing your hands is an important part of hygiene. tree →
• Brushing your teeth twice a day is good dental hygiene. tree →
• Food hygiene means keeping raw meat away from other foods. tree →
• Cover your mouth when you cough; it is good hygiene. tree →
• The nurse talked to us about personal hygiene. tree →
• Good hygiene helps stop germs from spreading. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «good hygiene», not «a hygiene». Spelling trap: h-y-g-i-e-n-e (i before e here). Adjective: hygienic. Pronounced HY-jeen. Germs are too small to see, so things can look clean but still need washing.