ble

n. (Bot.) See Blaeberry. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grow white or lose color; to whiten. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bleached p. pr. & vb. n. Bleaching. ] [ OE. blakien, blechen, v. t. & v. i., AS. blācian, bl&unr_;can, to grow pale; akin to Icel. bleikja, Sw. bleka, Dan. blege, D. bleeken, G. bleichen, AS. blāc pale. See Bleak, a. ] To make white, or whiter; to remove the color, or stains, from; to blanch; to whiten. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Immortal liberty, whose look sublime
Hath bleached the tyrant's cheek in every varying clime. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Whitened; make white. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let their bleached bones, and blood's unbleaching stain,
Long mark the battlefield with hideous awe. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who whitens, or whose occupation is to whiten, by bleaching. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Bleacheries A place or an establishment where bleaching is done. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or process of whitening, by removing color or stains; esp. the process of whitening fabrics by chemical agents. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bleaching powder, a powder for bleaching, consisting of chloride of lime, or some other chemical or chemicals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. blac, bleyke, bleche, AS. blāc, bl&aemacr_;c, pale, wan; akin to Icel. bleikr, Sw. blek, Dan. bleg, OS. blēk, D. bleek, OHG. pleih, G. bleich; all from the root of AS. blīcan to shine; akin to OHG. blīchen to shine; cf. L. flagrare to burn, Gr. fle`gein to burn, shine, Skr. bhrāj to shine, and E. flame. √98. Cf. Bleach, Blink, Flame. ] 1. Without color; pale; pallid. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When she came out she looked as pale and as bleak as one that were laid out dead. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wastes too bleak to rear
The common growth of earth, the foodful ear. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

At daybreak, on the bleak sea beach. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Cold and cutting; cheerless; as, a bleak blast. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Bleak"ish, a. -- Bleak"ly, adv. -- Bleak"ness, n. [1913 Webster]