Whiten

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪtÉ™n

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- ("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").

Full definition of whiten

Verb

1. (transitive) To make white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.
2. (intransitive) To become white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.His hair had whitened with age.The trees in spring whiten with blossoms.