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v. blanched, blanch·ing, blanch·es also blenched or blench·ing or blench·es v.tr. 1. To take the color from; bleach. 2. To whiten (a growing plant or plant part) by covering to cut off direct light. 3. To whiten (a metal) by soaking in acid or by coating with tin. 4. a. To scald (almonds, for example) in order to loosen the skin. b. To scald (food) briefly, as before freezing or as a preliminary stage in preparing a dish. 5. To cause to turn white or become pale. v.intr. To turn white or become pale: Their faces blanched in terror. [Middle English blaunchen, to make white, from Old French blanchir, from blanche, feminine of blanc, white, of Germanic origin; see bhel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] blancher n. |
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