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
Their data shows 77 percent of the world's coral reefs are affected by bleaching. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 Today bleached, dead white coral is seen everywhere — a die-off due to warming, polluted waters. —Lea Lane, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Skipping a Laundry Sanitizer Some fabrics are obviously not safe for bleach, but there are other additives that can produce similar bacteria-fighting benefits. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024 Persistent plastic cutting board stains can be treated with diluted bleach before running through the dishwasher using hot water. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 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 25 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...