WHITENING

whitening, lightening

(noun) changing to a lighter color

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Verb

whitening

present participle of whiten

Noun

whitening (countable and uncountable, plural whitenings)

A substance, such as a bleach, used to make something white or whiter.

Whiting, a kind of fine white chalk.

The process of making something white or whiter.

Source: Wiktionary

Whit"en*ing, n.

1. The act or process of making or becoming white.

2. That which is used to render white; whiting. [R.] Whitening stone, a sharpening and polishing stone used by cutlers; also, a finishing grindstone of fine texture.

WHITEN

Whit"en, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whitened; p. pr. & vb. n. Whitening.] Etym: [OE. whitenen; cf. Icel. hvitna.]

Definition: To grow white; to turn or become white or whiter; as, the hair whitens with age; the sea whitens with foam; the trees in spring whiten with blossoms.

Whit"en, v. t.

Definition: To make white; to bleach; to blanch; to whitewash; as, to whiten a wall; to whiten cloth. The broad stream of the Foyle then whitened by vast flocks of wild swans. Macaulay.

Syn.

– See Blanch.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition