▪ I. blanching, vbl. n.1
(ˈblɑːnʃɪŋ, -æ-)
[f. blanch v.1]
The action of making white: see the vb. Also in Cookery: see blanch v.1 2 a.
| 1600 Holland Livy xl. 1091 b, The polishing, blaunching and whiting..of the temple of Iupiter. 1657 Phys. Dict., Blanching, is the separation of the skins and hulls from divers seeds and kernels. 1868 E. Seyd Bullion 545 The furnaces for..blanching are on the first floor. 1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 357/2 Blanching..in which food is treated with boiling water. 1960 Times Rev. Industry Aug. 22/3 Another operation applied to vegetables is blanching—immersion in near-boiling water for a few minutes. |
▪ II. ˈblanching, vbl. n.2
[f. blanch v.2 + -ing1.]
† 1. Telling of falsehoods. Obs.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 73 These blasphemous flatteries, detestable and horrible blaunchyngs. Ibid. 155 Your impudent usage in lyeng and blaunchyng. |
† 2. Shirking, evasion. Obs.
| 1642 Rogers Naaman 529 [Balaam] should have returned home, and abhorred his blanching with Gods command. |
▪ III. ˈblanching, ppl. a.
[f. blanch v.1 + -ing2.]
Whitening; becoming white.
| c 1800 K. White Poet Wks. (1837) 77 When old age shall shed Its blanching honours on thy weary head. 1847 Tennyson Princ. ii. 182 On the blanching bones of men. |