[bleach] vb [ME blechen, fr. OE blaecean; akin to OE blac pale; prob. akin to L flagrare to burn--more at black] vt (bef. 12c) 1: to remove color or stains from
2: to make whiter or lighter esp. by physical or chemical removal of color ~ vi: to grow white or lose color -- bleach.able adj
[2]bleach n (1887) 1: the act or process of bleaching
2: a preparation used in bleaching
3: the degree of whiteness obtained by bleaching