mindmap root((变白)) whiten implies a making white or whiter, often by a surface application: the snow fell softly, ~ing the roofs and streets. blanch implies a whitening either by the removal of color: ~ed when she saw the accident; or by preventing it from developing: ~ celery by covering the stalks with earth. bleach implies the action of light or chemicals in removing or reducing color: ~ hair with peroxide. decolorize implies the deprivation of color by a process such as bleaching or blanching: a process to ~ raw sugar. etiolate is a scientific term chiefly in reference to plants from which sunlight has been excluded and the natural coloring of chlorophyll has not been formed: ~d plants look sickly.