| 释义 |
whiteness|ˈhwaɪtnɪs|
Also (with shortened root-vowel) 5 whitt-, whytnesse, 5–6 whitnesse.
[OE. hwítnes: see white a. and -ness.]
The quality or condition of being white; white colour or appearance.
971Blickl. Hom. 7 Seo readnes þære rosan lixeþ on þe, & seo hwitnes þære lilian scineþ on þe. c1400Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. iv. 60 The fayre blosme..whos whytenes passyd the snowe. a1425tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula etc. 47 Þe wondes haþ hardnes wiþ whitenes and redenes. 1483Cath. Angl. 416/2 Whittnesse, albedo. 1577Googe tr. Heresbach's Husb. 39 The webbe is layde out in the hotte Sunne,..whereby it is brought to a passing whitenesse. 1592Greene Greene's Vis. Wks. (Grosart) XII. 209 The whitenesse of their haires bewrayed the number of their dayes. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage viii. iii. 623 The brightnesse of the Starres and whitenesse of the snow, not suffering them to be quite forlorne in darkenesse. a1650E. Norgate Miniatura (1919) 98 Temper them with white lead to what whytnes you please. 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters II. 52 Salts of different degrees of purity and whiteness. 1827Faraday Chem. Manip. xxiv. (1842) 648 Heat a little chloride of silver..to whiteness. 1887F. M. Crawford Saracinesca iii, His very dark eyes and complexion made more noticeable by the dazzling whiteness of his hair.
b. Of the human skin or face: † (a) Lightness or fairness of complexion; (b) Paleness, pallor.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xv. lxvi. (Bodl. MS.), Gallia..haþ þat name..of whitenes of men for Gallia is grewe and is to menynge mylke. 1585T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. viii. 119 Their beautie, whitenesse,..and shamefast grace. 1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. i. 68 The whitenesse in thy Cheeke Is apter then thy Tongue, to tell thy Errand. 1794S. Williams Vermont 389 The white men..lose their whiteness and become brown or red. 1821Lamb Elia Ser. i. Old Benchers, His cheeks were colourless, even to whiteness. 1857G. A. Lawrence Guy Liv. vii, It was no blush now, but a dead waxen whiteness, that came over the beautiful face.
c. quasi-concr. A white substance or part of something.
1560Bible (Geneva) Tobit ii. 10 A whitenes came in mine eies, & I went to the phisicians who helped me not. 1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 1170 A purple floure..checkred with white, Resembling well his pale cheekes, and the blood, Which..vpon their whitenesse stood. 1650Jer. Taylor Holy Living iv. §10. 360 Those Creatures that live amongst the snowes..turne white with their..conversation with such perpetual whitenesses. 1651French Distill. i. 34 These Rinds must be fresh, and (the inward whiteness being separated) be bruised. 1885‘F. Anstey’ Tinted Venus v, [To a barber] Do you not swathe them in the garb of humiliation, and daub their countenances with whiteness? 1905R. Bagot Passport ix. 79 The water-lilies lifted their pure whiteness to the..sunbeams.
d. fig. Purity, stainless character or quality.
1555Bradford in Coverdale Lett. Martyrs (1564) 285 Sope, though it be blacke, soileth not the clothe,..so doth the blacke crosse helpe vs to more whitenes. 1645Milton Tetrach. Wks. 1851 IV. 181 To vindicat the whitenes and the innocence of this divine Law, from the calumny it findes. 1663Cowley Verses & Ess., Horace iii. i. 3 To Virgin Minds, which yet their Native whiteness hold,..these truths I tell. 1816Byron Ch. Har. iii. lvii, He had kept The whiteness of his soul. 1884Harrop Bolingbroke i. 44 Such..was the whiteness of his record in this respect. |