Bleaching

/ˈbliːtʃɪŋ/

verbBeginnerCommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To remove color from something, making it whiter or lighter.

/ˈbliːtʃɪŋ/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To whiten or lighten something.

They bleached the wood to make it look cleaner.

💡 Simply: To make something lighter in color.

More Examples

2

The sun bleached the curtains.

How It's Used

Textiles

"The factory uses chemicals to bleach the cotton fabric."

Hairdressing

"She bleached her hair blonde."

2

The act of making something whiter or lighter in color.

/ˈbliːtʃɪŋ/

nounneutralBeginner
General

The process or act of bleaching.

The bleaching of the teeth took several sessions.

💡 Simply: The act of whitening something.

More Examples

2

The bleaching process damaged the fabric.

How It's Used

Dentistry

"Tooth bleaching is a common cosmetic procedure."

Tip:The 'ing' ending indicates the process itself.

From Middle English *blechen, from Old English *blēcan, meaning "to whiten." The modern sense of removing color, particularly in textiles and hair, developed later.

Historically, bleaching involved exposure to sunlight and other natural processes, before the development of chemical bleaches.

Memory tip

Think of 'bleach' as making something bright and clean.

Base: bleach
bleachinggblechenbleaching

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written