Definition of 'white'
Word forms: comparative whiter
, superlative whitest
, plural whites
3. adjective
A White person has a pale skin and belongs to a race which is of European origin.
Whites are White people.
...a building that once housed a school fror Whites.
4. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
See
white as a sheet
5. adjective
White wine is pale yellow in colour.
6. adjective
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.
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
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
white
Word Frequency
white in British English
adjective
2.
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
8.
colourless or transparent
white glass
9.
capped with or accompanied by snow
a white Christmas
12.
(of wine) made from pale grapes or from black grapes separated from their skins
14. physics
having or characterized by a continuous distribution of energy,
wavelength, or frequency
white noise
20.
bleed 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
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 or
pigment, 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
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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)
Word Frequency
White in British English 1
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
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
White in British English 2
noun
1.
Gilbert. 1720–93, English
clergyman and
naturalist, noted for his Natural History and
Antiquities of Selborne (1789)
3.
4.
5.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
White in American English
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
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
white in American English
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
color2.
of a light or pale color
; specif.,
b.
very blond
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 metalsg.
made of silver
3.
lacking color; colorless
white creme de menthe
7.
b. [sometimes W-]
of, controlled by, or restricted to Caucasoids
8.
being at white heat
9.
reactionary, counterrevolutionary, or royalist, as opposed to
red (sense 10)
red (sense 10a)
noun
11.
a.
white color
b.
a white pigment, paint, or dye
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
c.
a white breed, esp. of
pig
e.
f.
g. Chess
the player or side with the white or lighter-colored pieces
15. [sometimes W-]
a person with a light-colored skin; member of the Caucasoid division of humans
16. [often W-]
a member of a reactionary or counterrevolutionary
faction, party, etc. in certain European countries
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 outIdioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
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
Examples of 'white' in a sentence
white
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
Read more…
Word lists with
white
black,
butterfly,
sauce,
SeasQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
Which butterfly or moth am I?
a brownish noctuid moth, Plusia gamma, having a light Y-shaped marking on each forewing; it migrates in large flocks
Which butterfly or moth am I?
a brown pyralid moth, Galleria mellonella, the larvae of which feed on the combs of beehives
Which butterfly or moth am I?
any of three species of brown butterfly, esp the common Lasiommata megera, that habitually sun themselves on rocks and walls
Which butterfly or moth am I?
any moth of the family Psychidae
Which butterfly or moth am I?
any of a group of pieridine butterflies the males of which have yellow or yellowish wings, esp the clouded yellows (Colias spp.) and the brimstone
Your score:
More idioms containing
white
Trends of
white
View usage for:
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
Nearby words of
white
Source
Definition of white from the
Collins English Dictionary
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complex plot or vegetable plot?
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vegetable plot
complex plot
The warm wet weather is working wonders on the .
field questions or raise questions?
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cut the dividends or reap dividends?
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civil action or swift action?
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swift action
civil action
Witnesses praised them for their .
long-term goal or winning goal?
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winning goal
long-term goal
I scored the with ten minutes to go.
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miner or minor?
Which version is correct?
cellar or seller?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
cellar
seller
The box had been stored in the at the family home.
stake or steak?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
steak
stake
The only thing on the menu was and kidney pie.
bridal or bridle?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
bridle
bridal
Take the to pieces to give it a really good clean.
muscles or mussels?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
mussels
muscles
Add the and put the lid on.
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