bleach

[bleech]

verb (used with object)

1. to make whiter or lighter in color, such as by exposure to sunlight or a chemical agent; remove the color from.

   Do you think she bleaches her hair?

2. to cause (coral) to undergo a loss of color that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral’s tissues.

   In sufficient concentrations, the chemicals in certain sunscreens can bleach coral.

3. Photography.,  to convert (the silver image of a negative or print) to a silver halide, either to remove the image or to change its tone.

verb (used without object)

1. to become whiter or lighter in color.

   The grass in the fields gradually bleached as winter approached, leaving the landscape pale and drab.

2. (of coral) to undergo a loss of color that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral’s tissues.

   Coral reefs are bleaching due to ocean pollution and rising sea temperatures.

noun

1. a bleaching agent.

2. an act of bleaching.

3. degree of paleness achieved in bleaching.

bleach

/ bliːtʃ /

verb

1. to make or become white or colourless, as by exposure to sunlight, by the action of chemical agents, etc

noun

1. a bleaching agent

2. the degree of whiteness resulting from bleaching

3. the act of bleaching

bleach

1. A chemical agent used to whiten or remove color from textiles, paper, food, and other substances and materials. Chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, and hydrogen peroxide are bleaches. Bleaches remove color by oxidation or reduction.

Other Word Forms

• bleacher noun
• bleachable adjective
• bleachability noun
• half-bleached adjective
• nonbleach noun
• overbleach verb
• rebleach verb
• semibleached adjective
• unbleached adjective
• unbleaching adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleach¹

First recorded before 1050; Middle English blechen, Old English blǣcean, derivative of blāc “pale”; cognate with Old Norse bleikja, Old High German bleichēn

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleach¹

Old English blǣcan ; related to Old Norse bleikja , Old High German bleih pale

Synonym Study

See whiten.

Example Sentences

Molly said she had to take a "very strong" course of antibiotics she likened to bleach to treat the infection.

From BBC

You need some real heavy duty bleach for that.

From Salon

Oliver presents as all sunny, breezy love, sporting a trucker cap over a babushka over bleached pink hair.

From Los Angeles Times

Coral is bleaching, kelp is disappearing, surface water temperature has hit hot-tub levels.

From Los Angeles Times

By midmorning in the Central Valley, the light turns hard and white, bleaching the sky and flattening every shadow.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• lighten