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Added 9 October 2026

blanch

/blɑːnt͡ʃ/ verb

Latin root: blancus Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about blanch at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Turn pale, as if in fear.
Cook (vegetables) briefly.
Parboil the beans before freezing them

Origin

From Middle English blaunchen, from Old French blanchir, from Old French blanc (“white”), from Early Medieval Latin blancus, from Frankish *blank, from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“bright, shining, blinding, white”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). Cognates Cognate with blench (“to deceive, to trick”) through Proto-Indo-European, whence other etymology of blanch.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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