BLANCH

[blanch] vb [ME blaunchen, fr. MF blanchir, fr. OF blanche, fem. of blanc, adj., white--more at blank] vt (15c): to take the color out of: as a: to bleach by excluding light "~ celery" b: to scald or parboil in water or steam in order to remove the skin from, whiten, or stop enzymatic action in (as food for freezing) c: to make ashen or pale "fear ~es the cheek" ~ vi: to become white or pale -- blanch.er n