ETYM Old Eng. blac, bleyke, bleche, AS. blâc, blec, pale, wan; akin to Icel. bleikr, Swed. blek, Dan. bleg, OS. blaek, Dutch bleek, Old High Germ. pleih, German bleich; Skr. bhrâj to shine, and Eng. flame.
Unpleasantly cold and damp; SYN. cutting, raw.

Small fresh-water fish having very silvery scales.
Freshwater fish Alburnus alburnus of the carp family.
It is up to to 20 cm/8 in long, and lives in still or slow-running clear water in Britain and Europe.
In Eastern Europe its scales are used in the preparation of artificial pearls.