Bleaching

Bleaching \Bleach"ing\, n.
   The act or process of whitening, by removing color or stains;
   esp. the process of whitening fabrics by chemical agents.
   --Ure.
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   {Bleaching powder}, a powder for bleaching, consisting of
      chloride of lime, or some other chemical or chemicals.
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Bleach \Bleach\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bleached}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Bleaching}.] [OE. blakien, blechen, v. t. & v. i., AS.
   bl[=a]cian, bl?can, to grow pale; akin to Icel. bleikja, Sw.
   bleka, Dan. blege, D. bleeken, G. bleichen, AS. bl[=a]c pale.
   See {Bleak}, a.]
   To make white, or whiter; to remove the color, or stains,
   from; to blanch; to whiten.
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         The destruction of the coloring matters attached to the
         bodies to be bleached is effected either by the action
         of the air and light, of chlorine, or of sulphurous
         acid.                                    --Ure.
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         Immortal liberty, whose look sublime
         Hath bleached the tyrant's cheek in every varying
         clime.                                   --Smollett.
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19 Moby Thesaurus words for "bleaching":
      achromatization, albification, blanching, bleach, decoloration,
      decolorization, decolorizing, discoloration, etiolation, fading,
      frosting, grizzling, lightening, madder bleach, market bleach,
      paling, silvering, whitening, whitewashing