Definition of: bleach

(blēch) v.t.
1. To deprive of color, as by exposure to the sun or chemicals; whiten.
2. To make pale: Fear bleached his face.
—v.i.
3. To become colorless, pale or white.
—noun
1. An act or the act of bleaching; also, the result of the act or degree of bleaching obtained.
2. A fluid or powder used as a bleaching agent. [OE blæcean] Synonyms (verb): blanch, whiten, whitewash. To whiten is to make white in general, but commonly it means to overspread with white coloring matter. Bleach and blanch both signify to whiten by depriving of color, the former permanently (as linen), the latter either permanently (as, to blanch celery) or temporarily (as, to blanch the cheek with fear). To whitewash is to whiten the surface of, literally with whitewash, or figuratively with false praise or by minimizing a fault. Antonyms: blacken, color, darken, dye, soil, stain.