white

adjective

\ ˈhwīt

, ˈwīt\

whiter; whitest

Definition of white

(Entry 1 of 13)

1a : free from color

b : of the color of new snow or milk specifically : of the color white

c : light or pallid in color white hair lips white with fear

d : lustrous pale gray : silvery also : made of silver

2a : being a member of a group or race characterized by light pigmentation of the skin

b : of, relating to, characteristic of, or consisting of white people or their culture

c [ from the former stereotypical association of good character with northern European descent ] : marked by upright fairness that's mighty white of you

3 : free from spot or blemish: such as

a(1) : free from moral impurity : innocent

(2) : marked by the wearing of white by the woman as a symbol of purity a white wedding

b : unmarked by writing or printing

c : not intended to cause harm a white lie white magic

d : favorable, fortunate one of the white days of his life— Sir Walter Scott

4a : wearing or habited in white

b : marked by the presence of snow : snowy a white Christmas

5a : heated to the point of whiteness

b : notably ardent : passionate white fury

6a : conservative or reactionary in political outlook and action

b : instigated or carried out by reactionary forces as a counterrevolutionary measure a white terror

7 : of, relating to, or constituting a musical tone quality characterized by a controlled pure sound, a lack of warmth and color, and a lack of resonance

8 : consisting of a wide range of frequencies —used of light, sound, and electromagnetic radiation

white

noun

Definition of white (Entry 2 of 13)

1 : the achromatic object color of greatest lightness characteristically perceived to belong to objects that reflect diffusely nearly all incident energy throughout the visible spectrum

2a : a white or light-colored part of something: such as

(1) : a mass of albuminous material surrounding the yolk of an egg

(2) : the white part of the eyeball

(3) : the light-colored pieces in a 2-player board game also : the player by whom these are played

(4) : the area of a page unmarked by writing, printing, or illustration

b(1) archaic : a white target

(2) : the fifth or outermost circle of an archery target also : a shot that hits it

3 : one that is or approaches white in color: such as

a : white clothing —often used in plural

b : white wine

c : a white mammal (such as a horse or a hog)

d(1) : a white-colored product (such as flour) —usually used in plural

(2) : any of numerous butterflies (subfamily Pierinae of the family Pieridae) that usually have the ground color of the wings white and are related to the sulphur butterflies

e whites plural : teeth —used in the phrase pearly whites

4 whites plural : leukorrhea

5 : a person belonging to a light-skinned race

6 often capitalized : a member of a conservative or reactionary political group

white

verb

whited; whiting

Definition of white (Entry 3 of 13)

transitive verb

archaic

: whiten

White

biographical name (1)

\ ˈhwīt

, ˈwīt\

Definition of White (Entry 4 of 13)

Andrew Dickson 1832–1918 American educator and diplomat

White

biographical name (2)

Definition of White (Entry 5 of 13)

Byron Raymond 1917–2002 American jurist

White

biographical name (3)

Definition of White (Entry 6 of 13)

Edward Douglass 1845–1921 American jurist; chief justice U.S. Supreme Court (1910–21)

White

biographical name (4)

Definition of White (Entry 7 of 13)

Elwyn Brooks 1899–1985 American journalist and writer

White

biographical name (5)

Definition of White (Entry 8 of 13)

Gilbert 1720–1793 English clergyman and naturalist

White

biographical name (6)

Definition of White (Entry 9 of 13)

Patrick Victor Martindale 1912–1990 Australian writer

white

Definition of white

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