whiten

Meaning

Verb

• (To cause) to become white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.

Origin

• 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-, equivalent to white + -en. Cognate with Icelandic hvítna ("to whiten"), Swedish vitna, hvitna, Danish hvidne ("to whiten"). Compare Old English hwītian ("to whiten, become white, be white, make white").