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
Etymology
Origin of whiten
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English whitenen; see 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.
Paper mills rely on it to whiten wood pulp.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
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
Harry saw his pupils contract to thin slits, saw the skin around his eyes whiten.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
