white
( whiter comparative) ( whitest superlative) ( whites plural )
1 colour Something that is white is the colour of snow or milk.
He had nice square white teeth..., He was dressed in white from head to toe.
♦
whiteness n-uncount
Her scarlet lipstick emphasized the whiteness of her teeth.
2 adj A white person has a pale skin and belongs to a race which is of European origin.
He was white, with brown shoulder-length hair and a moustache.
Whites are white people., n-count usu pl
It's a school that's brought blacks and whites and Hispanics together.
3 adj If someone goes white, the skin on their face becomes very pale, for example because of fear, shock, anger, or illness.
usu v-link ADJ
Richard had gone very white, but he stood his ground..., His face was white with fury. If someone looks white as a sheet or as white as a sheet, they look very frightened, shocked, or ill.
♦
white as a sheet phrase v-link PHR
He appeared in the doorway, white as a sheet, eyes wide with horror.
4 adj White wine is pale yellow in colour.
Gregory poured another glass of white wine and went back to his bedroom.
You can refer to white wine as white., n-mass
I bought a bottle of Californian white.
5 adj White coffee has had milk or cream added to it.
(BRIT)
Wayne has a large white coffee in front of him.
6 adj White blood cells are the cells in your blood which your body uses to fight infection.
ADJ n
7 n-var The white of an egg is the transparent liquid that surrounds the yellow part called the yolk.
8 n-count The white of someone's eye is the white part that surrounds the coloured part called the iris. usu N of n
black and white , black-and-white
1 colour In a black and white photograph or film, everything is shown in black, white, and grey.
...old black and white film footage..., The pictures were in black and white.
2 adj A black and white television set shows only black-and-white pictures.
usu ADJ n
3 adj A black and white issue or situation is one which involves issues which seem simple and therefore easy to make decisions about.
(=clear-cut)
But this isn't a simple black and white affair, Marianne..., She saw things in black and white.
4 You say that something is in black and white when it has been written or printed, and not just said.
♦
be in black and white phrase PHR after v, v-link PHR
He'd seen the proof in black and white...
milk white
You can use milk white to describe things that are a milky white colour.
LITERARY colour
Mist was rising, and trees and shrubs began to disappear in a milk-white haze.
non-white ( non-whites plural )
in AM, also use nonwhite A non-white person is a member of a race of people who are not of European origin. adj
(Antonym: white)
Non-white people are effectively excluded from certain jobs..., 60 percent of the population is non-white.
Non-white is also a noun., n-count
Not one non-white has ever been selected to play for the team.
off-white
Something that is off-white is not pure white, but slightly grey or yellow. colour
snow-white
Something that is snow-white is of a bright white colour. adj
His hair was snow white like an old man's.
white Christmas ( white Christmases plural ) A white Christmas is a Christmas when it snows. n-count
white-collar , white collar
1 adj White-collar workers work in offices rather than doing physical work such as making things in factories or building things.
ADJ n (Antonym: blue-collar)
White-collar workers now work longer hours.
2 adj White-collar crime is committed by people who work in offices, and involves stealing money secretly from companies or the government, or getting money in an illegal way.
ADJ n
white elephant ( white elephants plural ) If you describe something as a white elephant, you mean that it is a waste of money because it is completely useless. n-count
(disapproval)
The pavilion has become a £14 million steel and glass white elephant.
white goods
People in business sometimes refer to fridges, washing machines, and other large pieces of electrical household equipment as white goods. Compare brown goods. n-plural
white-haired
Someone who is white-haired has white hair, usually because they are old. adj
white-hot
If something is white-hot, it is extremely hot. adj
It is important to get the coals white-hot before you start.
White House
The White House is the official home in Washington DC of the President of the United States. You can also use the White House to refer to the President of the United States and his or her officials. n-proper the N, N n
He drove to the White House..., The White House has not participated in any talks.
white knight ( white knights plural ) A white knight is a person or an organization that rescues a company from difficulties such as financial problems or an unwelcome takeover bid. (BUSINESS) n-count
...a white-knight bid.
white-knuckle
1 adj In a fairground, a white-knuckle ride is any large machine that people ride on which is very exciting but also frightening.
ADJ n
...white-knuckle rides such as the rollercoaster.
2 adj A white-knuckle experience is something that you find very exciting but also very frightening.
ADJ n
...a hellish white-knuckle ride through the heavy London traffic.
white lie ( white lies plural ) If you refer to an untrue statement as a white lie, you mean that it is made to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to avoid trouble, and not for an evil purpose. n-count
white meat ( white meats plural ) White meat is meat such as chicken and pork, which is pale in colour after it has been cooked. n-uncount also N in pl
white noise
White noise is sound, especially of a loud, continuous, or unpleasant kind, that seems to have no pattern or rhythm. n-uncount
They were made to listen to white noise, such as static of the sort you might pick up between radio stations.
White Pages
White Pages is used to refer to the section of a telephone directory which lists names and telephone numbers in alphabetical order. Compare Yellow Pages.
(AM) n-plural
White Paper ( White Papers plural ) In Britain, Australia, Canada, and some other countries, a White Paper is an official report which describes the policy of the Government on a particular subject. n-count
white pepper
White pepper is pepper which has been made from the dried insides of the fruits of the pepper plant. n-uncount
white sauce ( white sauces plural ) White sauce is a thick white sauce made from milk, flour, and butter. Meat, fish, or vegetables are often cooked in or served in white sauce. n-mass
white spirit
White spirit is a colourless liquid that is made from petrol and is used, for example, to make paint thinner or to clean surfaces.
(BRIT) n-uncount
in AM, use turpentine
white trash
Some people use white trash to refer to poor white people who they think are worthless.
(AM)
OFFENSIVE n-uncount-coll
(disapproval)
...a place peopled by illiterate poor white trash.
white-water rafting
White-water rafting is the activity of riding on a raft over rough, dangerous parts of a fast-flowing river. n-uncount
white wedding ( white weddings plural ) A white wedding is a wedding where the bride wears white and the ceremony takes place in a church.
(mainly BRIT) n-count