whiten

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See also: Whiten

English

Etymology

From Middle English whitenen, whitnen, from Old Norse hvítna (“to whiten”), from Proto-Germanic *hwītnōną (“to whiten, become white”), from Proto-Indo-European *kwind-, *kwint- (“bright”), equivalent to white +‎ -en. Cognate with Icelandic hvítna (“to whiten”), Swedish vitna, hvitna (“to whiten”), Danish hvidne (“to whiten”). Compare Old English hwītian (“to whiten, become white, be white, make white”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈ(h)waɪ̯.tən/, ,
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪtən

Verb

whiten (third-person singular simple present whitens, present participle whitening, simple past and past participle whitened)

  1. (ergative) (To cause) to become white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.
    Age had whitened his hair.
    The trees in spring whiten with blossoms.

Derived terms

Translations

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