blanch
/blæntʃ/ · blan·ch
verb
- To grow or become white His cheek blanched with fear.
- To take the color out of, and make white; to bleach Age has blanched his hair.
- To cook by dipping briefly into boiling water, then directly into cold water She blanched the vegetables to preserve their color.
verb
- To make something appear less vivid or less intense The news blanched the excitement from the crowd.
Did you know? The word 'blanch' is often used in cooking to describe a specific method of cooking vegetables, but its origins date back to the 14th century when it was used to describe the loss of color in hair and skin.