blanched; blanching; blanches
Definition of blanch
: 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
: 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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for blanch
The first known use of blanch was in the 14th century
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