bleacher

From Middle English blechere, equivalent to bleach +‎ -er. Compare Dutch bleker, Swedish blekare.

• (General American) enPR: blēʹ-chər, IPA^(key): /ˈbli.t͡ʃɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbliː.t͡ʃə/
• Rhymes: -iːtʃə(ɹ)

bleacher (plural bleachers)

1. One who, or that which, bleaches.
2. (US, usually in the plural) A stand of tiered planks used as seating for spectators, often outdoors.

   Synonyms: stand, terrace

   There could be a rough crowd out in the bleachers.

   • 1960, John Updike, 'Rabbit, Run', page 34:

     It seemed silly for the crowd to applaud or groan over what you had already felt in your fingers or even in your arms as you braced to shoot or for that matter in your eyes: when he was hot he could see the separate threads wound into the strings looping the hoop. Yet at the start of the game when you came out for warm-up and could see all the town clunkers sitting in the back of the bleachers elbowing each other and the cheerleaders wisecracking with the racier male teachers, the crowd then seemed right inside you, your liver and lungs and stomach.

   • 1999, Jim Puhalla, Jeff Krans, Mike Goatley, Sports Fields: A Manual for Design, Construction and Maintenance - Page 371:

     Warnings such as "watch your step" can be provided when there is a small step off a bleacher to the pavement or ground level.

   • 2004, Josh Pahigian, Kevin O'Connell, The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip:

     We prefer bleacher seats to Grandstand Sections 1-9. And in truth, quite a few bleacher seats offer a better view of the action than the Right Field Boxes do. Bleacher seats are made of comfortable plastic, […]

3. (US, television, usually in the plural, by extension) The tiered seating provided for the audience at a television filming.
   • 2010, Jeremy G. Butler, Television Style:

     In practice, audience members often have badly obstructed views of the sets—whether due to obstructive camera dollies and production personnel or viewers sitting in the bleachers off to the side of the set that is currently being used.

• (one who bleaches): bleachery

• Note: Some of these translations are in the plural.

• Alberche, Beachler, rebleach