1. household goods, as bed sheets, tablecloths, and towels, formerly bleached and finished in white but now often patterned and colored.
2. bleached goods, esp. cotton or linen fabrics.
3. large household appliances, as refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines.
4. alcoholic liquors that are manufactured without color, as vodka, gin, and tequila.
[ 1870-75 ]