whitest

Variant of white

white definition

white (hwīt, wīt)

adjective whiter whit′er, whitest whit′·est

  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
  2. of a light or pale color; specif.,
    1. gray; silvery; hoary
    2. very blond
    3. pale; wan; pallid; ashen a face white with terror
    4. light-yellow or amber
    5. blank: said of a space unmarked by printing, writing, etc.
    6. of a light-gray color and lustrous appearance: said of silver and other metals
    7. made of silver
    8. 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
    1. having a light-colored skin; Caucasoid
    2. of, controlled by, or restricted to Caucasoids
    3. Etymology: < notions of racial superiority

      Slang honest; honorable; fair; decent
  7. being at white heat
  8. reactionary, counterrevolutionary, or royalist, as opposed to red ()
  9. Rare happy; fortunate; auspicious: said of times and seasons

Etymology: ME hwit < OE, akin to Ger weiss, ON hvitr, MDu wit < IE *kweid-, to gleam, bright, white > wheat, OSlav švěšta, a light, candle

noun

    1. white color
    2. a white pigment, paint, or dye
  1. the state of being white; specif.,
    1. fairness of complexion
    2. purity; innocence
  2. a white or light-colored part; specif.,
    1. the albumen of an egg
    2. the white part of the eyeball
    3. a blank space in printing, writing, etc.
    4. the white or light-colored part of meat, wood, etc.
  3. something white or light-colored; specif.,
    1. white cloth
    2. white garments or vestments; white uniform
    3. a white breed, esp. of pig
    4. a highly refined, usually bleached flour
    5. white bread
    6. white wine
    7. Chess the player or side with the white or lighter-colored pieces
  4. a person with a light-colored skin; member of the Caucasoid division of humans
  5. a member of a reactionary or counterrevolutionary faction, party, etc. in certain European countries
  6. leukorrhea
  7. Archery
    1. Archaic a white target
    2. the outermost ring of a target
    3. a hit on this ring

transitive verb whited whit′ed, whiting whit′·ing

  1. to make white; whiten
  2. to leave blank spaces in or around (printed or written matter, illustrations, etc.): often with out

Etymology: ME whiten < OE hwitian < the adj.

white Idioms

bleed white

to drain (a person) completely of money, resources, etc.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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