to whiten by removing color; bleach: Workers were blanching linen in the sun.
Cooking.
to scald briefly and then drain, as peaches or almonds to facilitate removal of skins, or as rice or macaroni to separate the grains or strands.
to scald or parboil (meat or vegetables) so as to whiten, remove the odor, prepare for cooking by other means, etc.
Horticulture. (of the stems or leaves of plants, as celery or lettuce) to whiten or prevent from becoming green by excluding light.
Metallurgy.
to give a white luster to (metals), as by means of acids.
to coat (sheet metal) with tin.
to make pale, as with sickness or fear: The long illness had blanched her cheeks of their natural color.
verb (used without object)
to become white; turn pale: The very thought of going made him blanch.
Origin of blanch
1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bla(u)nchen, from Anglo-French, Middle French blanchir “to whiten,” derivative of blanc, blanche “white”; see blank
synonym study for blanch
1. See whiten.
OTHER WORDS FROM blanch
blancher,noun
Words nearby blanch
blameworthy, blanc, Blanca Peak, blanc de blancs, blanc fixe, blanch, Blanche, Blanche of Castile, Blanchett, blancmange, Blanco
Definition for blanch (2 of 2)
blanch2
[ blanch, blahnch ]
/ blæntʃ, blɑntʃ /
verb (used with object)
to force back or to one side; head off, as a deer or other quarry.
Even some progressives might blanch at the idea that we ourselves might run the banks.
Limits of a First Term|Thomas Geoghegan|October 24, 2008|DAILY BEAST
And then was seen a sight to set red war atremble with affright, and blanch the lurid sun to sickly pallor.
Descriptive Analyses of Piano Works|Edward Baxter Perry
Blanch has a good Understanding, but does not know the World, and is commonly choused by her Neighbours.
The True Life of Betty Ireland|Anonymous
Blanch a quarter of an ounce of bitter almonds, and beat them with a tea-spoonful of water in a marble mortar.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,|Mary Eaton
Take the small sort of almonds; steep them in cold water till they will blanch, and as you blanch them throw them into water.
The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;|Charlotte Campbell Bury
Blanch the almonds, pound them in a mortar to a paste with a little rose-water.
The National Cook Book, 9th ed.|Hannah Mary Peterson
British Dictionary definitions for blanch
blanch
/ (blɑːntʃ) /
verb(mainly tr)
(also intr)to remove colour from, or (of colour) to be removed; whiten; fadethe sun blanched the carpet; over the years the painting blanched
(usually intr)to become or cause to become pale, as with sickness or fear
to plunge tomatoes, nuts, etc, into boiling water to loosen the skin
to plunge (meat, green vegetables, etc) in boiling water or bring to the boil in water in order to whiten, preserve the natural colour, or reduce or remove a bitter or salty taste
to cause (celery, chicory, etc) to grow free of chlorophyll by the exclusion of sunlight
metallurgyto whiten (a metal), usually by treating it with an acid or by coating it with tin
(tr, usually foll by over) to attempt to conceal something
Word Origin for blanch
C14: from Old French blanchir from blanc white; see blank