whiten
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- unwhitened adjective
- whitening noun
Etymology
Origin of whiten
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English whitenen; white, -en 1
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.
For example, you can whiten teeth with a single tap.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025
Their interlocking hands whiten as their grip tightens and Neta recalls what happened next.
From BBC • Oct. 13, 2023
The cream, which contained ingredients to whiten the skin of European women, was sold off by the house and sed to create the skincare company of the same name.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2023
“For many years, Brazil tried to whiten its population and people avoided speaking about race in Brazil,” he said.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2022
August takes a deep breath and grips the bull hook so hard his knuckles whiten.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
