| 释义 |
whitewash
I. \ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷\ verb
Etymology: white (III) + wash, v.
transitive verb
1. : to wash, treat, or cover with white liquid composition; especially : to whiten with whitewash
2. : to give a speciously pure or fair appearance to: as
a. : to gloss over or cover up (as vices or crimes)
b. : to exonerate or clear (as a person) of charges by means of a superficial or perfunctory investigation or examination or through artful or biased presentation of data
c. Britain
(1) : to legally clear (a bankrupt) of liabilities
(2) : to free a bankrupt from (debt) by a legal process
3. : to hold (an opponent) scoreless in a game or contest : shut out
4. : to cause a permanent efflorescent scum to form on (brick) usually by careless drying, too rapid an application of heat in a kiln, or the use of a clay containing soluble sulfates
intransitive verb
1. : to whitewash something or someone
2. : to become whitewashed : take whitewash
< the wall whitewashes very easily >
Synonyms: see palliate
II. noun
1. : a liquid composition that imparts a white coating to a surface: as
a. : a liquid (as a skin bleach) for whitening the skin
b. : a composition (as of lime and water or whiting, size, and water) for whitening structural surfaces (as of plaster, masonry, or wood)
c. : bird excrement especially when appearing as a chalky coating on or about a nest or perching site
2.
a. : an act or instance of glossing over (as a vice or a reputation) or of clearing a bankrupt; often : a production or activity (as a book, an article, a verdict, a report, or an investigation) that whitewashes somebody or something
b. : a defeat in a contest in which the loser fails to score
3. : an efflorescence on the surface of a brick |