blanch

verb

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

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 Fresh chives and dill liven up the egg mixture, and blanched asparagus tips add spring color. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024 Noreen Wasti The fruit, which hails from Oman but is also associated with Iran, is blanched in salty brine before being sun dried, so its flesh and peel turn a deep black. Katy Gillett, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2024 Some cooks blanch at blanching vegetables or shudder if an ingredient list calls for yeast. Charlotte Druckman / Photographs By F. Martin Ramin/the Wall Street Journal, Food Styling By Kim Ramin, Prop Styling By Valeria Suasnavas , WSJ, 7 Dec. 2023 The broccoli is so green thanks to the simple blanching process. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024 But often blanching is just the first step in preparing them. Carly Westerfield, Bon Appétit, 30 Oct. 2023 The team plans to take neural recordings of cuttlefish brains during camouflage and blanching to learn more. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 June 2023 Unlike its green counterpart, it’s then blanched in hot water before being dried, which gives it that wrinkly, crackly skin. Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Jan. 2024 To blanch fresh peas (either shelled or whole edible-pod types), bring water to a boil in a large pan, then add peas. Sunset Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blanch.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of blanch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near blanch

Cite this Entry

“Blanch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blanch. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

blanch

verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on blanch

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