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
• fade
• brighten
• 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

The key is to blanch the slices in the pasta water first, which tames their bitterness, then to give them a quick sear in olive oil, which caramelizes their edges. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025

There’s no need to blanch or pre-cook any of these vegetable additions. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 9 Oct. 2025

At the time, a flustered Griffin blanched at the question and noted that her mother-in-law was in the studio audience. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025

Its generous capacity is perfect for preparing stews and chilis, batch cooking, blanching vegetables, and even poaching. —Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for blanch

• branch
• cranch
• ranch
• stanch
• tranche
• avalanche

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