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definitions

whiten

[hwahyt-n, wahyt-n]
See more synonyms for whiten on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with or without object)
  1. to make or become white.

Origin of whiten

1250–1300; Middle English whitenen; see white, -en1
Related formsun·whit·ened, adjective

Synonyms for whiten

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Whiten, blanch, bleach mean to make or become white. To whiten implies giving a white color or appearance by putting a substance of some kind on the outside: to whiten shoes. To blanch implies taking away natural or original color throughout: to blanch celery by growing it in the dark. To bleach implies making white by placing in (sun) light or by using chemicals: to bleach linen, hair.

Antonyms for whiten

blacken.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for whiten

bleach, blanch, whitewash, lighten, frost, dull, etiolate, blench, fade, white, pale, silver, grizzle, decolorize, chalk, decolor

Examples from the Web for whiten

Contemporary Examples of whiten

Historical Examples of whiten

  • Boil for one hour with the lid on the saucepan, that the steam may whiten the fat.

    The Skilful Cook

    Mary Harrison

  • "Their bones will whiten the plains should they attempt it," the other said scornfully.

    At Aboukir and Acre

    George Alfred Henty

  • There was just enough snow to whiten the ground, but none to spare.

  • He said that the teeth should be cleaned, but that it was girlish to whiten them with powder.

    Folkways

    William Graham Sumner

  • We had it on the grass last year; seemed as if it never'd whiten out.

British Dictionary definitions for whiten

whiten

verb
  1. to make or become white or whiter; bleach
Derived Formswhitening, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012