whiten

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)waɪ̯.tən/, [ˈ(h)waɪ̯tn̩], [ˈ(h)waɪ̯ʔn̩]

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• Rhymes: -aɪtən

whiten (third-person singular simple present whitens, present participle whitening, simple past and past participle whitened)

1. (ergative) (To cause) to become white or whiter; to bleach or blanch.

   Age had whitened his hair.

   The trees in spring whiten with blossoms.

• prewhiten