Meaning & use

blanch

verb·Academic

To briefly boil food, especially vegetables, then plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking.

See it in a sentence

Blanch the green beans for two minutes before adding them to the salad.

Chefs blanch tomatoes in hot water so the skins peel off easily.

A note on using this word

"Blanch" also means to turn pale, usually from shock or fear, as in "he blanched at the news."

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To become pale, especially from fear, shock, or illness.

She blanched when she saw the size of the medical bill.

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