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whitewash Definition

white·wash (--wôs̸h′)

noun

  1. a mixture of lime, whiting, size, water, etc., for whitening walls, etc.
  2. a cosmetic formerly used for making the skin fair
    1. a glossing over or concealing of faults or defects in an effort to exonerate or give the appearance of soundness
    2. something said or done for this purpose
  3. Sports, Informal a defeat in which the loser scores no points

transitive verb

  1. to cover with whitewash
  2. to gloss over or conceal the faults or defects of; give a favorable interpretation of or a falsely virtuous appearance to
  3. Sports, Informal to defeat (an opponent) soundly

whitewash Related Forms
white·wash′er noun
whitewash Synonyms

whitewash

v.

  1. To cover with a lime wash

    paint, whiten, calcimine, paint white, apply a white coating, wash.

  2. *To give the appearance of innocence

    varnish, gloss over, cover up, veneer, conceal the facts of, play down, rationalize; see also excuse.

    Antonyms implicate*, accuse, blame.

whitewash Usage Examples

Object

  • tomb: You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside.
  • cottage: These unique whitewashed cottages feature high peaked ceilings with ceiling fans.
  • wall: On the whitewashed wall of the cave were stuck some children's drawings done in colored crayons.
  • exterior: Many cottages are of traditional simple styles, with a narrow layout and whitewashed exterior.
  • villa: Description of Vale de Parra This scenic area of Portuguese countryside is dotted with magnificent whitewashed villas.
  • brick: A Dickensian back alley of whitewashed brick with a series of flyers hung at its entrance.

Converse of object

  • decorate: Whitewash liberally decorated coat free game online word Generator - Computing and trousers.
  • cross: Joe came to the Rec in 2004 with a reputation for crossing the whitewash for Canterbury, his previous club in New Zealand.
  • avoid: With the trophy safely back in British hands, the final day was about whether America could avoid the whitewash.
  • complete: Siben Li also played well for Cheltenham, but was inconsistent enough to enable Saracens to complete a whitewash.
  • prevent: Barry Starling won two games for Cromer to prevent a complete whitewash.

Adjective modifier

  • complete: Barry Starling won two games for Cromer to prevent a complete whitewash.

Modifies a noun

  • wall: Leeds Public Health Board distributed Chlorine of Lime to whitewash walls but it was too late.
  • brush: And whats this as well as drums, Gigi on whitewash brush, it certainly adds a thud to the rhythm.

Modifying Another Word

  • pretty: Winding roads snake up mountainsides to pretty whitewashed villages surrounded by spiky cacti.
  • not: Two rectangular splayed windows with only the dressings not whitewashed.
  • completely: North wall: four splayed window embrasures; piscina set in wall with two-centred arch over, completely whitewashed.

Noun used with modifier

  • series: Evens for a series whitewash is starting to look generous.

Preposition: of

  • violence: Following this verdict, the activists announced that they will appeal against this whitewash of police violence.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • over: There also appear to have been wall paintings whitewashed over.
whitewash Quotes

   Purpose apart, perched like an umpire, dozes, Dreams golden balls whirring through indigo. Clay blurs the whitewash but day still encloses The albinos, bonded in their flick and flow. Playing in musicked gravity, the pair Score liquid Euclids in foolscaps of air.

—Avison, Margaret

There will be no whitewash in the White House.

—Nixon, Richard M(ilhous)

Browse dictionary entries near whitewash

  1. whitewall
  2. whitethroat
  3. whitetail
  4. whitesmith
  5. whiteout
  6. whitening
  7. whiteness
  8. whitener
  9. whiten
  10. whitemail
  1. whitewing
  2. whitewood
  3. whitey
  4. whither
  5. whithersoever
  6. whitherward
  7. whiting
  8. whitish
  9. whitleather
  10. whitlow