Showing results for "bleaching"

• present participle of bleach.

bleaching

American  

[blee-ching] / ˈbli tʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the application of bleach or another chemical agent to something in order to whiten, lighten, clean, or disinfect.

   Bleaching is not recommended for this fabric.

   She gives her kitchen countertops a weekly bleaching.

2. the process of becoming whiter or lighter in color, such as by prolonged exposure to sunlight, the application of chemicals, or other means.

   The bleaching of animal bones in the desert is a well-known phenomenon.

3. a loss of color in coral that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral's tissues.

4. Photography. the conversion of the silver image of a negative or print to a silver halide, either to remove the image or to change its tone.

---

Etymology

Origin of bleaching

First recorded in 1550–60, bleaching for def. 1; 1970–75, bleaching for def. 3; bleach ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bleaching

That includes droughts, floods, infrastructure damage, coral bleaching, wildfires, and agricultural and health effects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Scientists have already connected them with widespread coral bleaching, large-scale deaths of marine organisms, harmful algal blooms and major disruptions to fisheries and aquaculture.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

From "heatwave simulators" to ecological bootcamps, scientists and conservationists are trying ways to revive and reinforce the famous coral reefs off Japan's Okinawa, decimated by climate-driven bleaching two summers ago.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Wildfires, floods, melting ice caps, heat waves, the bleaching of ocean reefs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

Likewise, the celebrated rationality of the fifth century represents a retrospective bleaching of what was actually a complex and contested story.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro