First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1white
adjective \ˈhwīt, ˈwīt\
: having the color of fresh snow or milk
: light or pale in color
: of or relating to a race of people who have light-colored skin and who come originally from Europe
whit·erwhit·est
Full 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
See white defined for English-language learners
See white defined for kids
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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
Related to WHITE
2white
noun
Definition of WHITE
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
See white defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WHITE
before 12th century
3white
verb
whit·edwhit·ing
Definition of WHITE
transitive verb
archaic : whiten
Origin of WHITE
Middle English, from white, adjective
First Known Use: before 12th century
White
biographical name \ˈhwīt, ˈwīt\
Definition of WHITE
Andrew Dickson 1832–1918 Am. educ. & diplomat
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Byron Raymond 1917–2002 Am. jurist
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Edward Douglass 1845–1921 Am. jurist; chief justice United States Supreme Court (1910–21)
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Elwyn Brooks 1899–1985 Am. journalist & writer
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Gilbert 1720–1793 Eng. clergyman & naturalist
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Patrick Victor Martindale 1912–1990 Austral. writer
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Stanford 1853–1906 Am. architect
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
Theodore Harold 1915–1986 Am. journalist & writer
White
biographical name
Definition of WHITE
William Allen 1868–1944 Am. journalist & writer
White
geographical name
Definition of WHITE
1
river 690 miles (1110 kilometers) N Arkansas & SW Missouri flowing SE into Mississippi River
2
river 250 miles (402 kilometers) NW Colorado & E Utah flowing W into Green River
3
river 50 miles (80 kilometers) SW Indiana flowing W into the Wabash
4
river 325 miles (523 kilometers) S South Dakota flowing E into Missouri River
5
river 130 miles (209 kilometers) NW Texas
WHITE Defined for Kids
1white
adjective \ˈhwīt, ˈwīt\
whit·erwhit·est
Definition of WHITE for Kids
1
: of the color of fresh snow : colored white
2
: light or pale in color <Her face was white with fear.>
3
: silvery
4
: belonging to a race of people having light-colored skin
5
: 1blank 1 <Do not write in white spaces on the page.>
6
: not intended to cause harm <white lies>
2white
noun
Definition of WHITE for Kids
1
: the color of fresh snow : the opposite of black
2
: the white part of something (as an egg)
3
: white clothing <She is dressed in white.>
4
: a person belonging to a race of people having light-colored skin
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