I. ˈhwīt, ˈwīt adjective
( whit·er ; whit·est )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwīt; akin to Old High German hwīz white and probably to Old Church Slavic světŭ light, Sanskrit śveta white, bright
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : 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
2.
a. : 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: 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
4.
a. : wearing or habited in white
b. : marked by the presence of snow : snowy
a white Christmas
5.
a. : heated to the point of whiteness
b. : notably ardent : passionate
white fury
6.
a. : 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
• whit·ish ˈhwī-tish, ˈwī- adjective
II. noun
Date: before 12th century
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 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: as
a. : white clothing — often used in plural
b. : white wine
c. : a white mammal (as a horse or a hog)
d.
(1) : a white-colored product (as flour, pins, or sugar) — 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. plural : teeth — used in the phrase pearly whites
4. plural : leukorrhea
5. : a person belonging to a light-skinned race
6. often capitalized : a member of a conservative or reactionary political group
III. transitive verb
( whit·ed ; whit·ing )
Etymology: Middle English, from white, adjective
Date: before 12th century
archaic : whiten