bleach

1 of 2

verb

ˈblēch How to pronounce bleach (audio)
bleached; bleaching; bleaches
Synonyms of bleachnext

transitive verb

1
: to remove color or stains from
2
a
: to make whiter or lighter especially by physical or chemical removal of color
bleach clothing
the sun had bleached her hair
b
: to remove, make dull, or sanitize as if by removing color
bleaches colonialism of its genocidal legacy—H. A. Giroux

intransitive verb

1
: to grow white or lose color
2
of coral : to expel symbiotic zooxanthellae exposing a white skeleton
bleachable
ˈblē-chə-bəl How to pronounce bleach (audio)
adjective

bleach

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or process of bleaching
2
: a preparation used in bleaching
3
: the degree of whiteness obtained by bleaching

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of bleach in a Sentence

Verb bones bleached white by the sun She bleached her hair blonde.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
However, refined oils (that may be bleached or heated) lose some antioxidants, so they're generally added later as additives.27 Deep vs. Shallow Frying Oxygen is needed to produce lipid oxidation products; therefore, shallow frying causes more lipid oxidation products. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 14 Oct. 2024 Their data shows 77 percent of the world's coral reefs are affected by bleaching. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
Her face appeared to have been doused in bleach, according to a forensic pathologist who reviewed her autopsy for NBC News. —Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 19 Nov. 2024 The company claims there are no fillers, chemical dyes, pesticides, bleach, carcinogenic adhesives or chemical flame retardants. —Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bleach 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English blechen, going back to Old English blǣcan, going back to Germanic *blaikjan- (whence also Middle Dutch bleken "to bleach, whiten," Old High German bleichen "to make pale," Old Icelandic bleikja "to bleach"), weak verb derivative of *blaik- "bright" (whence Old English blāc "bright, shining, pale," Old Saxon blēk, Middle Dutch bleec, Old High German bleih, Old Icelandic bleikr), going back to dialectal Indo-European *bhlei̯ǵ-, whence also Old Church Slavic blĭštati sę, bliscati sę "to sparkle, glitter," bliskŭ "flash (of lightning)," Lithuanian blỹksti "to become white or pale," bliskė́ti, bliškė́ti "to shine, sparkle"

Note: See also note at black entry 1.

Noun

derivative of bleach entry 1.

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bleach was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bleach

bldr

bleach

bleached ginger

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bleach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleach. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

bleach

1 of 2 verb
ˈblēch How to pronounce bleach (audio)
1
: to remove color or stains from
2
: to make whiter or lighter
3
: to grow white : lose color

bleach

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or process of bleaching
2
: a chemical used in bleaching

More from Merriam-Webster on bleach

Nglish: Translation of bleach for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bleach for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bleach

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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