bleach
Cross references: 1. whiten 1. bleach \'ble-ch\ vb [ME blechen, fr. OE bl-cean; akin to OE bla-c]pale, b -l fire 1: to remove color or stains from 2: to make whiter or lighter : to grow white or lose color 2. bleach n 1: the act or process of bleaching 2: a preparation used in bleaching 3: the degree of whiteness obtained by bleaching