blanch
blanch Lexical Profile
blanch Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To immerse vegetables, fruits, or nuts briefly in boiling water and then plunge them into cold water to loosen skins, preserve color, or prepare them for freezing.
"The chef instructed the kitchen staff to blanch the green beans for two minutes so they would retain their bright color."
To grow pale or lose color in the face, typically from sudden fear, shock, or illness; or to flinch inwardly at something unpleasant.
"She saw the look of shock on his face as he began to blanch at the unexpected cost of the repairs."
To make a growing plant, such as celery, asparagus, or chicory, white and tender by excluding sunlight with soil or coverings.
"Gardeners often mound soil around the stalks to blanch the celery and reduce its natural bitterness."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Blanch' is often confused with 'blench'; while 'blanch' means to turn pale from shock or to parboil food briefly, 'blench' specifically means to flinch or shrink back in fear.
• Rhymes for blanch
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French blanchir ('to make white'), derived from blanc ('white'), which ultimately stems from a Frankish or Germanic root meaning 'shining' or 'white'.