blanchir

to whiten

verb blahn-SHEER Rare

Also means

to launder (money)

Usage Note

Blanchir covers a wide range: physically whitening (hair goes white — ses cheveux ont blanchi), culinary blanching (blanchir des légumes), and financial money-laundering (blanchir de l'argent). The noun blanchiment is the standard term for money-laundering in legal and journalistic French.

Examples

"Il faut blanchir les haricots avant de les cuire."

Natural Translation

You must blanch the beans before cooking them.

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