bleach

词源同blanch, 漂白。

bleach (v.)

Old English blæcan "bleach, whiten," from Proto-Germanic *blaikjan "to make white" (cognates: Old Saxon blek, Old Norse bleikr, Dutch bleek, Old High German bleih, German bleich "pale;" Old Norse bleikja, Dutch bleken, German bleichen "to bleach"), from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn" (cognates: Sanskrit bhrajate "shines;" Greek phlegein "to burn;" Latin flamma "flame," fulmen "lightning," fulgere "to shine, flash," flagrare "to burn;" Old Church Slavonic belu "white;" Lithuanian balnas "pale").

The same root probably produced black; perhaps because both black and white are colorless, or because both are associated with burning. Compare Old English scimian, related to the source of shine (n.), meaning both "to shine" and "to dim, grow dusky, grow dark." Related: Bleached; bleaching.

bleach (n.)

"act of bleaching," 1887; "a bleaching agent," 1898, probably directly from bleach (v.). The Old English noun blæce meant "leprosy;" Late Old English also had blæco "paleness," and Middle English had blech "whitening or bleaching agent."

1. The tree's roots are stripped and hung to season and bleach.

树根剥皮后挂起来风干晒白。

2. Remove stains by soaking in a mild solution of bleach.

用温和的漂白剂浸泡以去除污迹。

3. The sun will bleach the hairs on your face.

太阳会使你脸上的汗毛发白。

4. Use some bleach on this shirt.

用些漂白剂漂白这件衬衣.

5. These products don't bleach the hair.

这些产品不会使头发变白。