The Collaborative Dictionary

Whiten \Whit"en\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whitened; p. pr. & vb. n. Whitening.] [OE. whitenen; cf. Icel. hv[imac]tna.] To grow white; to turn or become white or whiter; as, the hair whitens with age; the sea whitens with foam; the trees in spring whiten with blossoms. [1913 Webster]

Whiten \Whit"en\, v. t. To make white; to bleach; to blanch; to whitewash; as, to whiten a wall; to whiten cloth. [1913 Webster] The broad stream of the Foyle then whitened by vast flocks of wild swans. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster] Syn: See Blanch. [1913 Webster]

Word Net

whiten v : turn white; "This detergent will whiten your laundry" [syn: white] [ant: blacken]

Moby Thesaurus

achromatize, besnow, blanch, bleach, bleach out, blench, blush, bowdlerize, chalk, change color, clean, clean out, clean up, cleanse, clear out, color, crimson, darken, decolor, decolorize, delouse, depurate, deterge, dim, discolor, drain, drain of color, dry-clean, dull, dust, dust off, etiolate, expurgate, extenuate, fade, fade out, flush, freshen, frost, fume, gloss over, glow, grizzle, grow pale, lighten, look black, lose color, lustrate, mantle, pale, peroxide, purge, purify, redden, reform, scavenge, silver, spruce, steam-clean, sugarcoat, sweep out, sweeten, tarnish, tidy, tone down, turn color, turn pale, turn red, turn white, varnish, veneer, wan, wash out, white, whitewash, wipe, wipe off, wipe out, wipe up

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪtən

Verb

1. To make white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.
2. To become white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.

Translations