bleach

American  

[bleech] / blitʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to make whiter or lighter in color, such as by exposure to sunlight or a chemical agent; remove the color from.

   Do you think she bleaches her hair?

2. to cause (coral) to undergo a loss of color that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral’s tissues.

   In sufficient concentrations, the chemicals in certain sunscreens can bleach coral.

3. Photography. to convert (the silver image of a negative or print) to a silver halide, either to remove the image or to change its tone.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to become whiter or lighter in color.

   The grass in the fields gradually bleached as winter approached, leaving the landscape pale and drab.

2. (of coral) to undergo a loss of color that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral’s tissues.

   Coral reefs are bleaching due to ocean pollution and rising sea temperatures.

noun

1. a bleaching agent.

2. an act of bleaching.

3. degree of paleness achieved in bleaching.

bleach British  

/ bliːtʃ /

verb

1. to make or become white or colourless, as by exposure to sunlight, by the action of chemical agents, etc

---

noun

1. a bleaching agent

2. the degree of whiteness resulting from bleaching

3. the act of bleaching

bleach Scientific  

/ blēch /

1. A chemical agent used to whiten or remove color from textiles, paper, food, and other substances and materials. Chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, and hydrogen peroxide are bleaches. Bleaches remove color by oxidation or reduction.

---

Related Words

See whiten.

Other Word Forms

• bleachability noun
• bleachable adjective
• bleacher noun
• half-bleached adjective
• nonbleach noun
• overbleach verb
• rebleach verb
• semibleached adjective
• unbleached adjective
• unbleaching adjective

Etymology

Origin of bleach

First recorded before 1050; Middle English blechen, Old English blǣcean, derivative of blāc “pale”; cognate with Old Norse bleikja, Old High German bleichēn

Example Sentences

At 7:00 am, relatives brought packages: deodorant, toothpaste, soap and shampoo in labeled plastic bags, plus disinfectant and bleach -- provisions essential for maintaining hygiene in the latrines of tiny cells.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

“They’re getting that good California sun and are all bleach blonde,” said Jessica West, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

He also had the opinion that using bleach could cure Covid.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2025

That’s a lot of bleach used by Mater Dei players.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025

I walk us along back rooms and even past the boys’ locker room, which smells like bleach and dirty socks.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Related Words

• lighten