Definition

1. Noun:

   • A chemical agent used to whiten or remove color: A substance, often containing chlorine or peroxide, that removes color, stains, or disinfects by oxidation.
   • The process of whitening something: The act of making something white or lighter by using a chemical agent or exposing it to sunlight.
   • The resulting whiteness: The state of being white or colorless achieved through the bleaching process.

2. Verb:

   • To make white or lighter: To remove color or stains from something, making it whiter or paler.
   • To become white or lighter: To lose color, often due to exposure to a chemical agent or sunlight.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Add a cup of bleach to the washing machine to disinfect the towels.
  • The bleach removed the stubborn red wine stain from the tablecloth.
  • After several applications, the bleach achieved the desired whiteness.

• Verb:

  • You should bleach the white cotton sheets to keep them bright.
  • The strong sun will bleach the curtains over time.
  • Her hair was bleached blonde for the summer.

Advanced Usage

• "to bleach out": To remove color completely or to become faded.
  • The old photograph had bleached out in the sunlight.
• In a figurative sense, "bleach" can describe making something bland or devoid of character.
  • The documentary bleached all the controversy from the historical event.

Variants and Related Words

• Bleacher (n): A person or machine that bleaches; also, often refers to inexpensive, uncovered stadium seats (originally referring to sun-bleached wood).
• Bleachable (adj): Capable of being bleached.
  • Cotton is a highly bleachable fabric.
• Bleaching (n/adj): The process or action of bleaching.
  • The bleaching of coral reefs is a serious environmental concern.

Synonyms

• Whiten (v): To make or become white.
• Lighten (v): To make or become lighter in color.
• Blanch (v): To whiten by removing color; often used for fabrics or vegetables.
• Decolorize (v): To remove color from.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Bleach out: To cause color to fade or be removed; often used passively.
  • The design on the t-shirt had completely bleached out after many washes.

Related Idioms

• A bleach job: (Informal) Refers to the process of bleaching hair.
  • She got a bleach job that turned her hair platinum.

Noun

1. the act of whitening something by bleaching it (exposing it to sunlight or using a chemical bleaching agent)
2. an agent that makes things white or colorless
3. the whiteness that results from removing the color from something
   • a complete bleach usually requires several applications

Verb

1. make whiter or lighter
   • bleach the laundry
2. remove color from
   • The sun bleached the red shirt