bleached; bleaching; bleaches
1
: to remove color or stains from
2
a
: to make whiter or lighter especially by physical or chemical removal of color
bleach clothing
the sun had bleached her hair
b
: to remove, make dull, or sanitize as if by removing color
… bleaches colonialism of its genocidal legacy.—H. A. Giroux
1
: to grow white or lose color
2
of coral
: to expel symbiotic zooxanthellae exposing a white skeleton
1
: the act or process of bleaching
2
: a preparation used in bleaching
3
: the degree of whiteness obtained by bleaching
Cite this Entry
“Bleach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleach. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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