Definition

Noun: 1. A worker who bleaches: A person whose job is to whiten or lighten materials, such as cloth or flour, by using chemicals or exposure to sunlight. 2. (Usually plural: bleachers) An inexpensive, tiered, often uncovered seating area: A section of simple, bench-like seats arranged in rows, typically in a stadium or arena, that are not protected by a roof.

Examples

• Noun (Worker):
  • The textile mill employed several bleachers to prepare the fabric for dyeing.
  • In the 19th century, a bleacher would spread linen on grass fields to whiten it in the sun.
• Noun (Seating Area):
  • We bought cheap tickets and sat in the bleachers to watch the baseball game.
  • The home run ball landed in the left-field bleachers.

Advanced Usage

• "The cheap seats": This is a common informal synonym for , emphasizing their low cost.
  • We couldn't afford box seats, so we cheered from the cheap seats in the bleachers.

Variants and Related Words

• Bleach (verb/noun): The chemical agent or the process of making something white or light. This is the root word from which is derived.
  • She used bleach to clean the white towels.
• Bleachery (noun): A place or establishment where bleaching is carried out.
  • The old bleachery by the river has been converted into apartments.

Synonyms

• (For the worker): Whitener, chemical processor.
• (For the seating): Benches, tiers, uncovered stands, general admission seating.

Related Phrases

• "Bleacher creature": (Informal, often humorous) A term for a dedicated, sometimes rowdy fan who regularly sits in the bleachers.
  • The right-field bleacher creatures are famous for their loud chants.
• "Bleacher bum": (Informal, slightly derogatory) A person who spends a lot of time in the bleachers, often used for a fan who is not very knowledgeable.
  • He's just a bleacher bum who goes to every game to drink beer and yell.

Notes on Meaning

The first meaning (a worker who bleaches) is now rare and primarily historical. In contemporary English, especially in American English, the plural form "bleachers" is overwhelmingly used to refer to the uncovered seating sections in sports venues. When used in the singular (a bleacher), it almost always refers to an individual bench or seat within that larger section.

Noun

1. a worker who bleaches (cloth or flour etc.)