1. a blue liquid or powder added to laundry to make white fabrics appear whiter
2. the process of treating metal with heat to create a protective blue-black finish
Usage: technical

Examples

• She added a capful of bluing to the washing machine.
• The old-fashioned bluing made her white sheets look brighter.
• Grandmother always used bluing in her laundry routine.
• The gunsmith applied bluing to protect the rifle barrel from rust.
• The bluing process gives the steel a distinctive dark finish.
• You can buy bluing at most hardware stores.