Bleaches

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A chemical agent that lightens and removes color from fabrics, hair, and surfaces while also serving to disinfect and clear stains
2. It refers to the process of enhancing whiteness by eliminating pigments from textiles and other materials while acting as a cleaning agent
3. A chemical used to lighten or strip color from materials and disinfect surfaces ; the act of applying such chemicals to cleanse or whiten items

Etymology: The word "bleaches" is simply the plural of the noun "bleach" and the third-person singular of the verb, so its history is that of "bleach." That word comes from Old English "blǣċan," meaning "to bleach or whiten," which is tied to a much older Germanic root meaning "to shine." The shine and the pale are two sides of one idea: things that gleam are often light in colour, and to make cloth or skin pale was to make it shine with whiteness. Old English also had "blǣċe," which referred to skin irritations such as psoriasis and leprosy. Medieval English records a noun "bleche" connected to paleness, so the word drifted between describing a whitened surface and describing a pale or diseased complexion. The modern cleaning sense, a substance that removes stains or lightens colour, grew naturally from the older idea of making things white.

Synonyms: whiteners, decolorizers

Antonyms: stainers, darkeners