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 for 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. See bleed white
21. See 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. See 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. See 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 moth, the larvae of which develop in bags or cases
Which butterfly or moth am I?
a handsome nocturnal moth, Catocala fraxini, that is brown with bluish patches on the hindwings: related to the red underwing
Which butterfly or moth am I?
a nymphalid butterfly, Limenitis camilla, of Eurasia, having brown wings with white markings
Which butterfly or moth am I?
any of several geometrid moths with black- (or brown-)and-white mottled wings
Which butterfly or moth am I?
a nymphalid butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa, of temperate regions, having dark purple wings with cream-yellow borders
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 /ˈwaɪt/
- 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
Browse alphabetically
white
Source
Definition of white from the Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
fantastic atmosphere or poisonous atmosphere?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
fantastic atmosphere
poisonous atmosphere
With more seats made available, it should be a .
attend court or reach court?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
reach court
attend court
The trial may take more than a year to .
field questions or raise questions?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
raise questions
field questions
The proposals also about when workers should retire.
draft proposal or takeover proposal?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
takeover proposal
draft proposal
The board is expected to meet today to consider a formal .
slurred speech or victory speech?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
victory speech
slurred speech
He paid tribute to her in a very emotional .
Your score:
Word of the day
nanopublishing
an inexpensive form of online publishing that uses blogging as a model to reach a specific audience
Latest Word Submissions
A little bird told me… 7 animal idioms
It’s new words time at Collins Dictionary and this month we see the addition of words like fingerling, net zero and emotional support animal. This month, there were a few animal-related additions.
Read more
9 new words added to Collins Dictionary
Here are nine words recently added to Collins English Dictionary online. The words we use reflect the preoccupations of our time, and with the possibility of holidays and travel returning to the agenda, the dictionary welcomes ‘capsule hotel’, ‘tourist tax’, and the American informal shortening ‘vacay’ (from ‘vacation’).
Read more
New Conversations Day
The twelfth of July marks New Conversations Day. If you haven’t heard of it, don’t fret or feel afflicted by FOMO, for this is the first such day – ever.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
vane or vein or vain?
Which version is correct?
ring or wring?
Which version is correct?
ball or bawl?
Which version is correct?
profit or prophet?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
prophet
profit
I enjoyed playing the of doom and gloom.
brake or break?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
break
brake
He fell through the window, causing the glass to .
Your score: