blanch

verb \ ˈblanch \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Examples: blanch in a Sentence

Definition of blanch

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

See blanch defined for English-language learners

See blanch defined for kids

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 of blanch from the Web

Coarsely chop the pods or serve them whole in salads, or blanch the pods to retain their crunch and bring out their vibrant color to serve as a last-minute addition to pastas or rice dishes.

— noelle carter, latimes.com, "Salads, soups, risotto and other recipe ideas for English and sugar snap peas, now in season," 23 Mar. 2018
Unsweetened: Pack blanched rhubarb tightly into containers, leaving half-inch headspace.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow The Most Pie-Worthy Rhubarb Ever," 30 Mar. 2017
The pencil cactus was emitting a regular dull thump through the synth, while the lemon cypress, blanched to the point of near death, was producing a softer sound.

— pelican bomb, NOLA.com, "Musician Quintron tunes in to toxic waters with new artwork," 21 Feb. 2018
Some places, like McDonald's, get a head start, blanching the fries in 170-degree water, frying in 365-degree vegetable oil for 50 seconds and then freezing.

— tarah knaresboro, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make French Fries Perfectly," 2 Feb. 2015
Blankenship has taken the Trumpian ethos to such an extreme that even Trump is blanching.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "How the Republican Party Eats Itself, But Stays Alive," 8 May 2018
Get our daily newsletter Most lawyers blanch at the judiciary’s return to the headlines.

— The Economist, "Pakistan’s top court is eager to take on any brief," 28 Mar. 2018
In a small bowl add: 1 cup blanched almond flour, 2 tbsp melted coconut oil, 2-3 droplets of organic stevia and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

— lisa drayer, CNN, "How the 'Instagram diet' works," 8 Mar. 2018
Prepare vegetables/omelet: Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the Chinese broccoli or bok choy until tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.

— joan elovitz kazan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Breakfast in bed? These dads would rather be in the kitchen," 12 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blanch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.