blanch 1
— blancher , n.
/blanch, blahnch/ , v.t.
1. to whiten by removing color; bleach: Workers were blanching linen in the sun.
2. Cookery.
a. to scald briefly and then drain, as peaches or almonds to facilitate removal of skins, or as rice or macaroni to separate the grains or strands.
b. to scald or parboil (meat or vegetables) so as to whiten, remove the odor, prepare for cooking by other means, etc.
3. Hort. (of the stems or leaves of plants, as celery or lettuce) to whiten or prevent from becoming green by excluding light.
4. Metall.
a. to give a white luster to (metals), as by means of acids.
b. to coat (sheet metal) with tin.
5. to make pale, as with sickness or fear: The long illness had blanched her cheeks of their natural color.
v.i.
6. to become white; turn pale: The very thought of going made him blanch.
[ 1300-50; ME bla ( u ) nchen blanchir to whiten, deriv. of blanc, blanche white; see BLANK ]
Syn. 1. See whiten .
blanch 2
/blanch, blahnch/ , v.t.
to force back or to one side; head off, as a deer or other quarry.
[ 1565-75; var. of BLENCH 1 ]