bleach

1 of 2

verb

bleached; bleaching; bleaches

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 legacyH. A. Giroux

intransitive verb

1
: to grow white or lose color
2
of coral : to expel symbiotic zooxanthellae exposing a white skeleton
bleachable 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

Examples of bleach in a Sentence

Verb bones bleached white by the sun She bleached her hair blonde.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In Los Angeles in December, Paul George bleached their 22-point lead with a game-winning 3 and earlier this month LeBron James got the last say in a double-OT bout with two game-winning free throws. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 Four years ago, researchers near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef carried out a similar study in hopes that cloud brightening could protect the region’s corals from bleaching in over-warm waters. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024 While the southern part of the reef is the most affected, the reef authority has received reports of bleaching from all other regions of the marine park. Helen Regan, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 Gosling decided to bleach his hair at the last minute, after a wig didn’t look right. Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024 So two, three of the guys that are going on their missions bleached their hair. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024 If ocean temperatures continue to break records, that could bleach corals, generate more intense and fast-developing hurricanes, drive coastal temperatures up and make extreme precipitation more likely — events scientists already observed in 2023. Evan Bush, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2024 Not all corals die after being bleached, but this NOAA report reveals that many did. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 The church is nestled in a quiet neighborhood of modest homes with overgrown yards and bleached white fences. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
In Haiti, their families have told them, water is being sanitized with bleach and food is scarce. Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024 In severe cases, heavy metals in the hair react with bleach, a situation that highlights the importance of seeing an experienced colorist. Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024 Ross Cunning, a coral biologist with Shedd, said researchers can use technology onboard to test how well the coral absorbs sunlight and observe what temperature and speed cause corals to bleach. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday fully banned the use of asbestos, a carcinogen that is still used in some chlorine bleach, car parts, and other products. Syeda Khaula Saad, Verywell Health, 22 Mar. 2024 Gloves and bleach were found in the front of the car while lighter fluid was found in the backseat. Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024 Here is what the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife recommends: Fill the bird bath basin with a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water. Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 19 Mar. 2024 There were no more bleach bottles by LA’s Totally Awesome, but the rest of the brand’s cleaning products were available. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024 Upon arrival, officers noticed the scent of ammonia and bleach, as well as bloodstains in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, the BBC reported. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bleach.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Cite this Entry

“Bleach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleach. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

bleach

1 of 2 verb
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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