Bewhite

/bɪˈwaɪt/ verb

Definition

To make white; to whiten or bleach something completely.

Etymology

From 'be-' plus 'white' (Old English 'hwīt'). Following the same pattern as beweary and bewater—turning an adjective into an action verb.

Kelly Says

The existence of both 'bewhite' and 'bewhiten' (the variant below) shows how flexible English verb-making was—adding '-en' to a 'be-' verb created nuanced alternatives.

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