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bleach

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(blēc̸h)

transitive verb

to remove color from by means of chemicals or by exposure to the sun's rays
to whiten; blanch

Origin: ME blechen < OE blǣcan < IE *bhlēig-, to gleam (> bleak) < base *bhel-, to gleam > black, ON blikja, turn pale

intransitive verb

to become white, colorless, or pale

noun

a bleaching or whitening
any substance used for bleaching
the degree of whiteness resulting from bleaching

Related Forms:

bleacher noun

See bleach in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb bleached, bleach·ing, bleach·es

verb, transitive

To remove the color from, as by means of chemical agents or sunlight.
To make white or colorless.

verb, intransitive

To become white or colorless.

noun

A chemical agent used for bleaching.
a. The act of bleaching.
b. The degree of bleaching obtained.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English blechen

Origin: , from Old English blǣcan; see bhel-¹ in Indo-European roots

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