Blanched

Blanch Blanch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blanched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Blanching}.] [OE. blanchen, blaunchen, F. blanchir, fr. blanc white. See {Blank}, a.] [1913 Webster] 1. To take the color out of, and make white; to bleach; as, to blanch linen; age has blanched his hair. [1913 Webster]

2. (Gardening) To bleach by excluding the light, as the stalks or leaves of plants, by earthing them up or tying them together. [1913 Webster]

3. (Confectionery & Cookery) (a) To make white by removing the skin of, as by scalding; as, to blanch almonds. (b) To whiten, as the surface of meat, by plunging into boiling water and afterwards into cold, so as to harden the surface and retain the juices. [1913 Webster]

4. To give a white luster to (silver, before stamping, in the process of coining.). [1913 Webster]

5. To cover (sheet iron) with a coating of tin. [1913 Webster]

6. Fig.: To whiten; to give a favorable appearance to; to whitewash; to palliate. [1913 Webster]

Blanch over the blackest and most absurd things. --Tillotson. [1913 Webster]

Syn: To {Blanch}, {Whiten}.

Usage: To whiten is the generic term, denoting, to render white; as, to whiten the walls of a room. Usually (though not of necessity) this is supposed to be done by placing some white coloring matter in or upon the surface of the object in question. To blanch is to whiten by the removal of coloring matter; as, to blanch linen. So the cheek is blanched by fear, i. e., by the withdrawal of the blood, which leaves it white. [1913 Webster]