bleaching
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Hotter seas can have damaging knock-on effects on the planet, fuelling stronger storms and rainfall and bleaching coral reefs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
If not this year, "it's almost 100 percent that soon in Okinawa, all around the world, we will have another mass bleaching event," the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University professor told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
She had talked with Frank about it late one night while he lay in bed whistling some ragtag tune and she sat before the mirror and rubbed bleaching cream into her skin.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
