whiten C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈwaɪ.tən/ UK /ˈwaɪ.tən/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to make or become white or paler Frost had whitened the rooftops overnight. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make or become white or... bleachblanchpalelightenfadeetiolate ↔ Opposites blackendarkencolor Word family Derived forms whitenerwhitening Related forms whitewhiteness Etymology AI details From white + the verb-forming suffix -en, from Old English hwīt ('white'), from Proto-Germanic *hwītaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kweid- ('to shine, be bright'). hwīt Old English *kweid- Proto-Indo-European View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # whiten **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈwaɪ.tən/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈwaɪ.tən/ ## Meanings 1. to make or become white or paler ## Examples - Frost had whitened the rooftops overnight. ## Synonyms - bleach - blanch - pale - lighten - fade - etiolate ## Antonyms - blacken - darken - color ## Derived Forms - whitener - whitening ## Related Forms - white - whiteness ## Roots and Affixes - Root: hwīt - Root: *kweid- ## Etymology From white + the verb-forming suffix -en, from Old English hwīt ('white'), from Proto-Germanic *hwītaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kweid- ('to shine, be bright'). ## AI Etymology Whiten comes from white + the verb-forming suffix -en, from Old English hwīt ('white'), from Proto-Germanic *hwītaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kweid- ('to shine, be bright'). In current use it is a verb meaning "to make or become white or paler". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English hwīt and Proto-Indo-European *kweid-. Related English forms include white and whiteness. Derived forms include whitener and whitening. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown