[white] adj whit.er ; whit.est [ME, fr. OE hwit; akin to OHG hwiz white and prob. to OCS svetu light, Skt sveta white, bright] (bef. 12c) 1 a: free from color b: of the color of new snow or milk; specif: of the color white c: light or pallid in color "~ hair" "lips ~ with fear" d: lustrous pale gray: silvery; also: made of silver
2. a: being a member of a group or race characterized by reduced pigmentation and usu. specif. distinguished from persons belonging to groups marked by black, brown, yellow, or red skin coloration b: of, relating to, characteristic of, or consisting of white people c: marked by upright fairness
3: free from spot or blemish: as a (1): free from moral impurity: innocent (2): marked by the wearing of white by the woman as a symbol of purity "a ~ wedding" b: unmarked by writing or printing c: not intended to cause harm "a ~ lie" "~ magic" d: favorable, fortunate "one of the ~ days of his life --Sir Walter Scott"
4. a: wearing or habited in white b: marked by the presence of snow: snowy "a ~ Christmas"
5. a: heated to the point of whiteness b: notably ardent: passionate "~ fury"
6. a: conservative or reactionary in political outlook and action b: instigated or carried out by reactionary forces as a counterrevolutionary measure "a ~ 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 -- whit.ish adj
[2]white n (bef. 12c) 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
2. a: a white or light-colored part of something: as (1): a mass of albuminous material surrounding the yolk of an egg (2): the white part of the ball of the eye (3): the light-colored pieces in a two-handed 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: as a: white clothing--often used in pl. b: white wine c: a white mammal (as a horse or a hog) d (1): a white-colored product (as flour, pins, or sugar)--usu. used in pl. (2): any of numerous butterflies (subfamily Pierinae of the family Pieridae) that usu. have the ground color of the wings white and are related to the sulphur butterflies
4. pl: leukorrhea
5: a person belonging to a light-skinned race
6. often cap: a member of a conservative or reactionary political group [3]white vt whit.ed ; whit.ing [ME, fr. white, adj.] (bef. 12c) archaic: whiten