white

¹white

adj \ˈhwīt, ˈwīt\

whit·erwhit·est

Definition of WHITE

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

Examples of WHITE

1. He was wearing white sneakers.
2. He had a long, white beard.
3. Her lips were white with fear.
4. He turned white when he heard the news.
5. He came from a white middle-class background.
6. His mother is Hispanic and his father is white.

Origin of WHITE

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to WHITE

Synonyms: tintless [archaic], uncolored, undyed, unpainted, unstained, colorless

Antonyms: colored, colorized, dyed, hued, painted, pigmented, stained, tinct, tinctured, tinged, tinted

Related Words: clear, limpid, liquid, lucent, pellucid, transparent; bleached, faded, palish, washed-out, washy; dull, faint, gray (also grey), neutral, pale, pallid; snow-white, snowy, whited

Near Antonyms: colorful, multicolored, polychromatic, polychrome, varicolored, variegated

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

Rhymes with WHITE

bight, bite, blight, bright, byte, cite, dight, dite, fight, flight, fright, height, hight, kite, knight, krait, kyte, light, lite, might, mite, night, plight, quite, right, rite, sight, site, sleight, slight, smite, spite, sprite, tight, trite, wight, wite, wright, write