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A stage in the preparation of permanent slides for microscopical examination in which the stained dehydrated cells or tissue sections are immersed in a clearing agent to remove the alcohol that was used to dehydrate the preparation. The process is essential if the dehydrating agent and the mounting or embedding medium are not miscible. Examples of clearing agents include xylene (xylol), toluene, and 1,1,1,-trichloro-ethane and various essential oils, e.g. clove oil and thyme oil. The term is sometimes used to mean the dissolving away of cell contents before staining so that the tissue distribution may be better observed. Sodium hypochlorite is commonly used for this.
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