bleaching

[blee-ching]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleaching¹

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

Example Sentences

Warmer seas have also caused mass bleaching at its world-famous Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

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Coral is bleaching, kelp is disappearing, surface water temperature has hit hot-tub levels.

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By midmorning in the Central Valley, the light turns hard and white, bleaching the sky and flattening every shadow.

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Coral reefs worldwide have been suffering from a two-year-long global coral bleaching event, due to record high ocean temperatures.

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Repeated bleaching events are turning vast swaths of once-vibrant coral white.

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