blanch

verb

ˈblanch 

blanched; blanching; blanches

transitive verb

: to take the color out of

Age had blanched his hair.

: such as

a

cooking : to scald or parboil in water or steam in order to remove the skin from, whiten, or stop enzymatic action in (such as food for freezing)

blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water

b

: to bleach by excluding light

blanch the leaves of a plant

c

: to make ashen or pale

fear blanches the cheek

intransitive verb

: to become white or pale (as from shock or fear)

His face blanched with horror.

—often used figuratively to describe a reaction of shock or dismay that makes someone unwilling or reluctant to proceed

Civilians also saw benefits to the system but blanched when talk then included references to $300-plus user fees.

—Dan Fales

… the managers of the companies blanched at the expenditures necessary to retool factories.

—Charles C. Mann

blancher noun

Synonyms

• bleach
• blench
• decolorize
• dull
• fade
• pale
• snow
• wash out
• whiten

Examples of blanch in a Sentence

Blanch the potatoes before slicing them.

a cup of blanched almonds

She blanched and remained silent when the store owner accused her of taking the money.

Recent Examples on the Web

These rashes tend to blanch—meaning turn white—when pressed. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024

Brekke walks us through how to blanch carrots in preparation for freezing: Wash, scrub, and peel (if desired) your carrots, then slice, dice, or shred them depending on your end use. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2024

Once trimmed, blanch the green beans in salted water for 4 minutes. —Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 10 Oct. 2024

The chiles are first blanched in hot water, then swirled in a chugging, bubbling bath. —Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English blaunchen, blanchen "to make white, whitewash, whiten (almonds) by parboiling them to remove the skins," borrowed from Anglo-French blanchir, blauncher "to turn white, whiten" (also continental Old French blanchir), derivative of blanc "white" — more at blank entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

blanch

verb

ˈblanch 

1

a

: to take the color out of : bleach

b

: to scald in order to remove the skin from or whiten

blanch almonds

2

: to become white or pale

blancher noun