Word forms: comparative whiter, superlative whitest, plural whites
1. colour
Something that is white is the colour of snow or milk.
He had nice square white teeth.
Issa's white beach hat gleamed in the harsh lights.
He was dressed in white from head to toe.
whitenessuncountable noun
Her scarlet lipstick emphasized the whiteness of her teeth. [+ of]
2. to bleed someone white
3. adjective
A White person has a pale skin and belongs to a race which is of European origin.
Working with White people hasn't been a problem for me or for them.
He was White, with brown shoulder-length hair and a moustache.
Whites are White people.
It's a school that's brought Blacks and Whites together.
4. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If someone goes white, the skin on their face becomes very pale, for example because of fear, shock, anger, or illness.
Richard had gone very white, but he stood his ground.
He turned white and began to stammer.
His face was white with fury. [+ with]
See white as a sheet
5. adjective
White wine is pale yellow in colour.
Gregory poured another glass of white wine and went back to his bedroom.
You can refer to white wine as white.
I bought a bottle of Californian white.
6. adjective
White coffee has had milk or cream added to it.
[British]
Wayne has a large white coffee in front of him.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
White blood cells are the cells in your blood which your body uses to fight infection.
8. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
People who believe in white magic believe it is possible to use magic to do good things.
...practitioners of white magic.
They claim to be white witches.
9. variable noun
The white of an egg is the transparent liquid that surrounds the yellow part called the yolk.
10. countable noun
The white of someone's eye is the white part that surrounds the coloured part called the iris.
11. plural noun
Whites are white clothes that you wear for playing some sports, for example tennis or cricket.
[British]
There was a Frenchman sitting at the next table, immaculate in tennis whites.
More Synonyms of white
white in British English
(waɪt)
adjective
1.
having no hue due to the reflection of all or almost all incident light
Compare black (sense 1)
2.
(of light, such as sunlight) consisting of all the colours of the spectrum or produced by certain mixtures of three additive primary colours, such as red, green, and blue
3.
comparatively white or whitish-grey in colour or having parts of this colour
white clover
4.
(of an animal) having pale-coloured or white skin, fur, or feathers
5.
bloodless or pale, as from pain, emotion, etc
6.
(of hair, a beard, etc) silvery or grey, usually from age
7.
benevolent or without malicious intent
white magic
8.
colourless or transparent
white glass
9.
capped with or accompanied by snow
a white Christmas
10. (sometimes capital)
counterrevolutionary, very conservative, or royalist
Compare Red (sense 2)
11.
blank, as an unprinted area of a page
12.
(of wine) made from pale grapes or from black grapes separated from their skins
13.
a.
(of coffee or tea) with milk or cream
b.
(of bread) made with white flour
14. physics
having or characterized by a continuous distribution of energy, wavelength, or frequency
white noise
15. informal
honourable or generous
16.
(of armour) made completely of iron or steel (esp in the phrase white harness)
17. rare
morally unblemished
18. rare
(of times, seasons, etc) auspicious; favourable
19. poetic or archaic
having a fair complexion; blond
20. bleed white
21. whiter than white
noun
22.
a white colour
23.
the condition or quality of being white; whiteness
24.
the white or lightly coloured part or area of something
25. the white
26. anatomy
the white part (sclera) of the eyeball
27.
any of various butterflies of the family Pieridae
large white, small white, cabbage white
28. chess, draughts
a.
a white or light-coloured piece or square
b. (usually capital)
the player playing with such pieces
29.
anything that has or is characterized by a white colour, such as a white paint orpigment, a white cloth, a white ball in billiards
30.
an unprinted area of a page
31. archery
a.
the outer ring of the target, having the lowest score
b.
a shot or arrow hitting this ring
32. poetic
fairness of complexion
33. in the white
verb
34. (usually foll by out)
to create or leave white spaces in (printed or other matter)
35. obsolete
to make or become white
Derived forms
whitely (ˈwhitely)
adverb
whiteness (ˈwhiteness)
noun
whitish (ˈwhitish)
adjective
whitishness (ˈwhitishness)
noun
Word origin
Old English hwīt; related to Old Frisian hwīt, Old Saxon hwīt, Old Norse hvītr, Gothic hveits, Old High German hwīz (German weiss)
White in British English1
(waɪt)
noun
1.
a person, esp one of European ancestry, from a human population having light pigmentation of the skin
adjective
2.
denoting or relating to a White person or White people
White in British English2
(waɪt)
noun
1.
Gilbert. 1720–93, English clergyman and naturalist, noted for his Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789)
2.
Jimmy. born 1962, English snooker player
3.
Marco Pierre. born 1961, British chef and restaurateur
4.
Patrick (Victor Martindale). 1912–90, Australian novelist: his works include Voss (1957), The Eye of the Storm (1973), and A Fringe of Leaves (1976): Nobel prize for literature 1973
5.
T(erence) H(anbury). 1906–64, British novelist: author of the Arthurian sequence The Once and Future King (1939–58)
6.
Sir Willard (Wentworth) (ˈwɪlɑːd). born 1946, British operatic bass, born in Jamaica
White in American English
(hwaɪt; waɪt)
1.
Byron R(aymond)1917-2002; U.S. jurist: associate justice, Supreme Court (1962-93)
2.
E(lwyn) B(rooks)1899-1985; U.S. writer
3.
Edward Douglass1845-1921; U.S. jurist: chief justice of the U.S. (1910-21)
4.
Gilbert1720-93; Eng. naturalist & clergyman: author of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne
5.
Patrick (Victor Martindale)1912-90; Austral. writer
6.
ˈStanford (ˈstænfərd) 1853-1906; U.S. architect
7.
Walter (Francis)1893-1955; U.S. author & civil rights leader
white in American English
(hwaɪt; waɪt)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈwhiter or ˈwhitest
1.
having the color of pure snow or milk; of the color of radiated, transmitted, or reflected light containing all of the visible rays of the spectrum;opposite to black
see also color
2.
of a light or pale color
; specif.,
a.
gray; silvery; hoary
b.
very blond
c.
pale; wan; pallid; ashen
a face white with terror
d.
light-yellow or amber
e.
blank
said of a space unmarked by printing, writing, etc.
f.
of a light-gray color and lustrous appearance
said of silver and other metals
g.
made of silver
h.
snowy
a white Christmas
3.
lacking color; colorless
white creme de menthe
4.
clothed in white; wearing a white habit
the white Friars
5.
morally or spiritually pure; spotless; innocent
6.
free from evil intent; relatively harmless
white magic, a white lie
7.
a. [sometimesW-]
having a light-colored skin; Caucasoid
b. [sometimesW-]
of, controlled by, or restricted to Caucasoids
c. US, Slang
honest; honorable; fair; decent
8.
being at white heat
9.
reactionary, counterrevolutionary, or royalist, as opposed to red (sense 10) red (sense 10a)
10. Rare
happy; fortunate; auspicious
said of times and seasons
noun
11.
a.
white color
b.
a white pigment, paint, or dye
12.
the state of being white
; specif.,
a.
fairness of complexion
b.
purity; innocence
13.
a white or light-colored part
; specif.,
a.
the albumen of an egg
b.
the white part of the eyeball
c.
a blank space in printing, writing, etc.
d.
the white or light-colored part of meat, wood, etc.
14.
something white or light-colored
; specif.,
a.
white cloth
b. [pl.]
white garments or vestments; white uniform
c.
a white breed, esp. of pig
d. [pl.]
a highly refined, usually bleached flour
e.
white bread
f.
white wine
g. Chess
the player or side with the white or lighter-colored pieces
15. [sometimesW-]
a person with a light-colored skin; member of the Caucasoid division of humans
16. [oftenW-]
a member of a reactionary or counterrevolutionary faction, party, etc. in certain European countries
17. [pl.]
leukorrhea
18. Archery
a. Archaic
a white target
b.
the outermost ring of a target
c.
a hit on this ring
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈwhited or ˈwhiting
19.
to make white; whiten
20.
to leave blank spaces in or around (printed or written matter, illustrations, etc.)
often with out
Idioms:
bleed white
Word origin
ME hwit < OE, akin to Ger weiss, ON hvitr, MDu wit < IE *kweid-, to gleam, bright, white > wheat, OSlav švěšta, a light, candle; (sense 7c) < notions of racial superiority
More idioms containing
white
a white lie
a white elephant
in black and white
black and white
white as a sheet
white as snow
whiter than white
Examples of 'white' in a sentence
white
One was blue and white plaid and the second was dark blue with red dots.
The Sun (2016)
We gasp as we see a white light appear above her shoulder then move above her heart.
The Sun (2016)
Wear with red lipstick and an oversized white shirt.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He admitted to giving his parents premature white hair.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The sea was an almost fluorescent turquoise, lapping against white beaches strewn with conch shells.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's made from birch plywood, finished in white or yellow lacquer.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
After just one win in his first six races for Pipe, he was beginning to look somethingof a white elephant.
The Sun (2016)
Yellow throat with white and blue spots.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You want the yolk and white to be fully combined.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Why should he do something that other white presidents might not?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
His flabby white skin has been painted blue.
The Sun (2011)
This makes the white man fear democracy.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This is why the skin gets whiter and paler as we grow older.
Brumberg, Elaine Take Care of Your Skin (1990)
Whites of eyes may have a blue tinge.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
Team with a crisp white shirt to look spring fresh.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
So tennis whites are a daily uniform?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This change of colour serves them well unless they are still white when the snow melts.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Their white paint was made with lead.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We took a day trip and were blown away by beaches of white sand.
The Sun (2008)
Two units is one standard glass of white or red wine.
The Sun (2010)
Until modern times it had no sort of cricketing culture outside white society.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We could see white vapour and liquid running off the engine.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The glaring white light washed over him and past him.
Tepper, Sheri S. A Plague of Angels (1993)
Try teaming with pastel colours and white accessories for a soft take on the trend.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He has a shock of curly white hair and a disarming smile.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Ours were the only two white faces in the queue for some distance.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Whisk an egg white lightly for 10 seconds until slightly firm but still runny.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If his hair was not white before, it would have turned it.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
A good pair of white jeans can make you feel a million dollars.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They will live in a big castle in London and she will wear a white dress at the wedding.
The Sun (2011)
Word lists with
white
black, butterfly, sauce, Seas
In other languages
white
British English: white /waɪt/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is white is the colour of snow or milk.
He had nice square white teeth.
American English: white
Arabic: أَبْيَض
Brazilian Portuguese: branco
Chinese: 白的
Croatian: bijeli
Czech: bílý
Danish: hvid
Dutch: wit
European Spanish: blanco
Finnish: valkoinen
French: blanc
German: weiß
Greek: λευκός
Italian: bianco
Japanese: 白い
Korean: 흰
Norwegian: hvit
Polish: biały
European Portuguese: branco
Romanian: alb
Russian: белый
Latin American Spanish: blanco
Swedish: vit
Thai: สีขาว
Turkish: beyaz
Ukrainian: білий
Vietnamese: trắng
All related terms of 'white'
egg white
the white of an egg ; albumen
non-White
A non-white person is a member of a race of people who are not of European origin .
off-white
Something that is off-white is not pure white, but slightly grey or yellow.
the white
the viscous fluid that surrounds the yolk of a bird's egg , esp a hen's egg; albumen
white ant
→ termite
white cat
→ another name for catworm
white-eye
any songbird of the family Zosteropidae of Africa , Australia , New Zealand , and Asia , having a greenish plumage with a white ring around each eye
white fox
the arctic fox in winter , when its fur is white
white gum
any of various Australian eucalyptus trees with whitish bark
white hat
a computer hacker who is hired by an organization to undertake nonmalicious hacking work in order to discover computer-security flaws
white-hot
If something is white-hot , it is extremely hot .
white leg
inflammation and thrombosis of the femoral vein following childbirth , characterized by painful swelling of the leg
white lie
If you refer to an untrue statement as a white lie , you mean that it is made to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to avoid trouble , and not for an evil purpose .
white oak
a large oak tree, Quercus alba , of E North America , having pale bark , leaves with rounded lobes , and heavy light-coloured wood
white out
to lose or lack daylight visibility owing to snow or fog
white owl
snowy owl
white rat
a white variety of the brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ), used extensively in scientific research
White Sea
an almost landlocked inlet of the Barents Sea on the coast of NW Russia . Area: 90 000 sq km (34 700 sq miles)
white tie
a white bow tie worn as part of a man's formal evening dress
bleed white
to deprive slowly of resources
bone white
any of various shades of grayish or yellowish white
flake white
a pigment made from flakes of white lead
flat white
A flat white is a cup of strong coffee with hot milk poured on top , similar to a → latte but smaller and less milky .
house white
a white wine sold unnamed by a restaurant , at a lower price than wines specified on the wine list
large white
a large white butterfly , Pieris brassicae, with scanty black markings , the larvae of which feed on brassica leaves
lead white
a poisonous pigment used in painting , consisting of white lead and characterized chiefly by a fugitive white color , covering power, and tough , flexible film-forming properties
lily-white
of a pure white
milk-white
You can use milk white to describe things that are a milky white colour .
milky-white
of a cream or whitish colour similar to the colour of milk
poor White
a poverty-stricken and underprivileged White person, esp in the southern US and South Africa
small white
a small white butterfly , Artogeia rapae, with scanty black markings , the larvae of which feed on brassica leaves
Snow White
Something that is snow-white is of a bright white colour .
white alert
an all-clear signal , directive , etc., indicating that the danger of air raid no longer exists
white amur
→ grass carp
white area
an area of land for which no specific planning proposal has been adopted
white bass
a silvery , striped , North American, freshwater food and game bass ( Morone chrysops ) of the same family (Percichthyidae) as striped bass
white bear
a white carnivorous bear, Thalarctos maritimus, of coastal regions of the North Pole
white birch
any of several birch trees with white bark , such as the silver birch of Europe and the paper birch of North America
white book
an official government publication in some countries
white bread
bread that is white in colour through having been made from bleached or bolted flour
white bream
a similar cyprinid , Blicca bjoerkna
white cake
a cake that is pale in color because its batter contains the whites of eggs but no yolks
white cedar
a coniferous tree, Chamaecyparis thyoides, of swampy regions in North America , having scalelike leaves and boxlike cones : family Cupressaceae
white cell
→ leukocyte
white coal
water, esp when flowing and providing a potential source of usable power
white coat
a white coat worn over everyday clothes by a doctor in a hospital or a scientist
white dwarf
one of a large class of small faint stars of enormous density (on average 10 8 kg/m 3 ) with diameters only about 1 per cent that of the sun, and masses less than the Chandrasekhar limit (about 1.4 solar masses). It is thought to mark the final stage in the evolution of a sun-like star
white-faced
having a bloodless or pale face, as from pain, emotion , etc
white fish
(in the British fishing industry) any edible marine fish or invertebrate in which the main reserves of fat are in the liver , excluding herring , trout , sprat , mackerel , salmon , and shellfish
white flag
a white flag or a piece of white cloth hoisted to signify surrender or request a truce
pale, because of illness, fear, shock, or another emotion
He turned white and began to stammer.
Synonyms
pale
She looked pale and tired.
grey
His face was grey with pain.
ghastly
She looked ghastly - frail, thin and colourless.
wan
He looked wan and tired.
pasty
My complexion remained pale and pasty.
bloodless
Her face was grey and bloodless.
pallid
His thin, pallid face broke into a smile.
ashen
He fell back, shocked, his face ashen.
waxen
His skin was waxen and pale and his eyes were sunken.
like death warmed up (informal)
wheyfaced
2 (adjective)
Definition
(of hair) having lost its colour, usually from age
an old man with white hair
Synonyms
silver
He had thick silver hair which needed cutting.
grey
a grey old man
snowy
grizzled
a stranger with grey, grizzled hair
a grizzled old warrior
hoary
hoary beards
idiom
See whiter than white
see also subject word lists:
See Shades from black to white
figurative note
White is a colour which has no hue due to the reflection of all light. White has long been associated in Western cultures with cleanliness and, by extension, purity and virginity, resulting in the expression whiter than white, meaning extremely white, clean, or pure. This focus on cleanliness is also evident in the expression white-collar, which denotes workers who are in professions that traditionally wore a white button-down shirt, rather than in manual labour. White is also associated with illness or severe emotional states, with the pallor of the face seen as a sign of ill-health or discomfort, in phrases like white with fear, shock or anger. White is sometimes used as a term relating to ethnic origin.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ashen
Definition
pale with shock
He fell back, shocked, his face ashen.
Synonyms
pale,
white,
grey,
wan,
livid,
pasty,
leaden,
colourless,
pallid,
anaemic,
ashy,
like death warmed up (informal)
in the sense of bloodless
Definition
anaemic-looking
Her face was grey and bloodless.
Synonyms
pale,
white,
wan,
sickly,
pasty,
colourless,
pallid,
anaemic,
ashen,
chalky,
sallow,
ashy,
like death warmed up (informal)
in the sense of ghastly
Definition
deathly pale
She looked ghastly - frail, thin and colourless.
Synonyms
pale,
white,
washed-out,
wan,
livid,
pasty,
pallid,
anaemic,
ashen,
sallow,
cadaverous,
like death warmed up,
deathlike,
deathly pale
Synonyms of 'white'
white
Explore 'white' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of grey
His face was grey with pain.
Synonyms
pale,
wan,
livid,
bloodless,
colourless,
pallid,
ashen,
like death warmed up (informal)
in the sense of grey
Definition
(of a person) having grey hair
a grey old man
Synonyms
old,
aged,
ancient,
mature,
elderly,
venerable,
hoary
in the sense of grizzled
Definition
(of a person) having grey hair
a stranger with grey, grizzled haira grizzled old warrior
Synonyms
grey,
greying,
grey-haired,
grizzly,
hoary,
grey-headed,
canescent,
griseous
in the sense of hoary
Definition
having grey or white hair
hoary beards
Synonyms
white-haired,
white,
grey,
silvery,
frosty,
grey-haired,
grizzled,
hoar
in the sense of pallid
Definition
lacking colour, brightness, or vigour
His thin, pallid face broke into a smile.
Synonyms
pale,
wan,
pasty,
colourless,
anaemic,
ashen,
sallow,
whitish,
cadaverous,
waxen,
ashy,
like death warmed up (informal),
wheyfaced
in the sense of pasty
Definition
(of the complexion) pale and unhealthy-looking
My complexion remained pale and pasty.
Synonyms
pale,
unhealthy,
wan,
sickly,
pallid,
anaemic,
sallow,
like death warmed up (informal),
wheyfaced
in the sense of wan
Definition
very pale, as a result of illness or unhappiness
He looked wan and tired.
Synonyms
pale,
white,
washed out,
pasty,
faded,
bleached,
ghastly,
sickly,
bloodless,
colourless,
pallid,
anaemic,
discoloured,
ashen,
sallow,
whitish,
cadaverous,
waxen,
like death warmed up (informal),
wheyfaced
in the sense of waxen
Definition
resembling wax in colour or texture
His skin was waxen and pale and his eyes were sunken.