nounnoun: hygieneconditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness."poor standards of food hygiene"synonyms:cleanliness, personal hygiene, personal cleanliness, purity, sterility, disinfection, sanitation, sanitariness; Morepublic health, environmental health, sanitary measures "poor standards of food hygiene"antonyms:uncleanlinessOriginlate 16th century: via French from modern Latin hygieina, from Greek hugieinē (tekhnē) ‘(art) of health’, from hugiēs ‘healthy’.