\Blanch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blanched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Blanching}.] [OE. blanchen, blaunchen, F. blanchir, fr.
blanc white. See {Blank}, a.]
1. To take the color out of, and make white; to bleach; as,
   to blanch linen; age has blanched his hair.
2. (Gardening) To bleach by excluding the light, as the
   stalks or leaves of plants, by earthing them up or tying
   them together.
3. (Confectionery & Cookery)
   (a) To make white by removing the skin of, as by scalding;
       as, to blanch almonds.
   (b) To whiten, as the surface of meat, by plunging into
       boiling water and afterwards into cold, so as to
       harden the surface and retain the juices.
4. To give a white luster to (silver, before stamping, in the
   process of coining.).
5. To cover (sheet iron) with a coating of tin.
6. Fig.: To whiten; to give a favorable appearance to; to
   whitewash; to palliate.
         Blanch over the blackest and most absurd things.
                                               --Tillotson.
Syn: To {Blanch}, {Whiten}.
Usage: To whiten is the generic term, denoting, to render
       white; as, to whiten the walls of a room. Usually
       (though not of necessity) this is supposed to be done
       by placing some white coloring matter in or upon the
       surface of the object in question. To blanch is to
       whiten by the removal of coloring matter; as, to
       blanch linen. So the cheek is blanched by fear, i. e.,
       by the withdrawal of the blood, which leaves it white.

\Blanch\, v. i.
To grow or become white; as, his cheek blanched with fear;
the rose blanches in the sun.
      [Bones] blanching on the grass.          --Tennyson.

\Blanch\, v. t. [See {Blench}.]
1. To avoid, as from fear; to evade; to leave unnoticed.
   [Obs.]
         Ifs and ands to qualify the words of treason,
         whereby every man might express his malice and
         blanch his danger.                    --Bacon.
         I suppose you will not blanch Paris in your way.
                                               --Reliq. Wot.
2. To cause to turn aside or back; as, to blanch a deer.

\Blanch\, v. i.
To use evasion. [Obs.]
      Books will speak plain, when counselors blanch.
                                               --Bacon.

\Blanch\, n. (Mining)
Ore, not in masses, but mixed with other minerals.