blanch

verb

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\ ˈblanch

blanched; blanching; blanches

Definition of blanch

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

Other Words from blanch Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About blanch

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 Just blanch the skin, boil it in sugar water and dry it in a bed of sugar. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 12 Apr. 2022 But some advertisers and agencies may blanch at the idea of the network that makes money off the sale of advertising acting as the verification of the measurement system behind it. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Mar. 2022 The Hornets may blanch at having to also throw in a first-round pick after giving up a couple young players, but that’s what the Rockets will demand. — Matt Young, Chron, 9 Feb. 2022 The easiest way to do that is to trim the root ends and blanch the onions in boiling water for 1 minute. — Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Dec. 2021 Note: To blanch whole almonds, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. — Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 22 Dec. 2021 Using the tongs, immediately move the spinach to the bowl of iced water to blanch it and help retain its color. — Janelle Bitker, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Nov. 2021 Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and blanch the snap peas until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. — Washington Post, 9 July 2021 Next, blanch the broccoli rabe leaves and cook until tender, about 1 minute. — Christian Reynoso, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Sep. 2021 See More

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.