bleach Hear it!

bleach Definition

bleach (blēc̸h)

transitive verb

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

Etymology: 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

  1. a bleaching or whitening
  2. any substance used for bleaching
  3. the degree of whiteness resulting from bleaching

Related Forms:

bleach Synonyms

bleach

v.

bleach Usage Examples

Object

  • dyeing: New Mills became an important center for cotton spinning, bleaching, dyeing and printing.
  • pulp: Making one ton of bleached chemical pulp requires 120,000 or more liters of water.
  • gel: Then, the bleaching gel is painted onto your teeth and a special, bright light is pointed at them.
  • powder: Later the entire pile was covered with copious quantities of bleaching powder.
  • linen: One period technique of bleaching linen is to use urine.
  • bone: Further along lie a few bleached bones, a fragment of a jaw.

Converse of object

  • dilute: Prompt cleaning and disinfection with dilute bleach of any area contaminated by vomit.
  • pour: The victim was stripped and had bleach poured on her head wounds and on her pubic region.
  • contain: They say that during the agency which contains bleach or unable to.

Subject

  • sun: After cleaning the straw is then boiled or ' cooked ' before being dried and bleached by the sun.

Adjective modifier

  • diluted: Cleaning the affected area with diluted bleach or sodium bicarbonate solution will aid the removal of these growths.
  • liquid: In an emergency, use liquid bleach to purify drinking water.

Modifies a noun

  • bottle: Please wash all bleach bottles to prevent the loaders from receiving chemical burns.
  • solution: Really stubborn stains can be removed by soaking in a mild bleach solution for a few minutes.

Noun used with modifier

  • hypochlorite: In fact the only means of detoxification at this time was by oxidation with hypochlorite bleaches.
  • chlorine: Even imports of chlorine bleach into Iraq have to be approved.
  • household: Remove mold using household bleach or a fungicide solution.

Adjective complement

  • white: Set into a private area of the estate, the cottage is built of native stone, bleached white.

Preposition: in

  • sun: Wool was usually dyed after the fleece had been washed, whereas linen was bleached in the sun to make it whiter.

Preposition: by

  • sun: After cleaning the straw is then boiled or ' cooked ' before being dried and bleached by the sun.

Browse dictionary entries near bleach

  1. -ble
  2. bldr
  3. bldg
  4. blazonry
  5. blazonries
  6. blazonment
  7. blazoner
  8. blazon
  9. blazing star
  10. blazing
  1. bleacher
  2. bleacherite
  3. bleachers
  4. bleaching powder
  5. bleak
  6. bleakly
  7. bleakness
  8. bleaks
  9. blear
  10. bleareyed