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单词 white
释义

whiteadj.adv.n.

Brit. /wʌɪt/, U.S. /(h)waɪt/
Forms: early Old English huite- (in compounds), early Old English huitti- (in compounds), early Old English huuit- (in compounds), Old English hwite- (in compounds, rare), Old English hwitt- (inflected form, before r), Old English witt- (inflected form, rare), Old English (rare)–early Middle English huit, Old English–early Middle English hwit, Old English–early Middle English hwite (as noun), Old English–early Middle English hwyt, Old English (rare)–Middle English (1900s– English regional) wit, Old English (rare)– whit (now English regional or in compounds formed in earlier periods), late Old English hvit, late Old English–early Middle English hwytt- (inflected form, before r), early Middle English huite, early Middle English hwita (as noun), early Middle English hyt (transmission error), early Middle English with, early Middle English wiþ, early Middle English ȝwijht, early Middle English ȝwijt, early Middle English ȝwijȝt, early Middle English ȝwyte, early Middle English ȝwyȝt, Middle English huyt, Middle English hwyte, Middle English kuyt (north-west midlands, in a late copy), Middle English qhyght, Middle English quhyte, Middle English quiht, Middle English quit, Middle English quite, Middle English quitte, Middle English quyt, Middle English quyte, Middle English qwhite, Middle English qwhyte, Middle English qwhytte, Middle English qwit, Middle English qwyght, Middle English qwyte, Middle English qwyth, Middle English qwytt, Middle English qwyȝt, Middle English uyt, Middle English wheit, Middle English wheyght, Middle English wheyt, Middle English whigthe, Middle English whiht, Middle English whihte, Middle English whijt, Middle English whijte, Middle English whithe, Middle English whitȝ, Middle English whiyt, Middle English whiȝt, Middle English whiȝte, Middle English whyette, Middle English whyeȝte, Middle English whyeȝtte, Middle English whyghthe, Middle English whygt, Middle English whygth, Middle English whygthe, Middle English whyht, Middle English whyit, Middle English whythe, Middle English whytȝ, Middle English whyȝt, Middle English whyȝte, Middle English whyȝth, Middle English whyȝtte, Middle English witȝt, Middle English wiȝt, Middle English wyght, Middle English wyghte, Middle English wygth, Middle English wyhiȝt, Middle English wyht, Middle English wyt, Middle English wyth, Middle English wythe, Middle English wythte, Middle English wyyt, Middle English wyȝt, Middle English wyȝte, Middle English wyȝth, Middle English wȝyte, Middle English wȝyth, Middle English ȝwit, Middle English–1500s qwyt, Middle English–1500s weyte, Middle English–1500s whiet, Middle English–1500s whight, Middle English–1500s whith, Middle English–1500s whitte, Middle English–1500s whyght, Middle English–1500s whyghte, Middle English–1500s whyth, Middle English–1500s whytt, Middle English–1500s whytte, Middle English–1600s whitt, Middle English–1600s whyt, Middle English–1600s wyte, Middle English (1900s– English regional (northern)) whyet, Middle English– white, late Middle English whitee (transmission error), late Middle English whot (transmission error), late Middle English wythtys (plural), late Middle English wyȝh (transmission error), 1500s weit, 1500s whait, 1500s wyet, 1500s wyȝht, 1500s–1600s wheat, 1500s–1600s wight, 1700s vite (nonstandard), Middle English–1500s (1700s nonstandard) wite, Middle English–1600s (1800s English regional) whyte, 1800s– weet (English regional (Somerset)), 1800s– wheite (English regional (Cheshire)), 1800s– wheyte (English regional (Cumberland)), 1800s– whit'- (English regional, in compounds), 1900s– whoite (Irish English); Scottish pre-1700 qhuit, pre-1700 queyt, pre-1700 quhait, pre-1700 quhat, pre-1700 quhaytt, pre-1700 quheat, pre-1700 quheit, pre-1700 quheite, pre-1700 quheitt, pre-1700 quhet, pre-1700 quhete, pre-1700 quheyit, pre-1700 quheyt, pre-1700 quheyte, pre-1700 quhit, pre-1700 quhite, pre-1700 quhitt, pre-1700 quhitte, pre-1700 quhyet, pre-1700 quhyit, pre-1700 quhyte, pre-1700 quhytt, pre-1700 quhytte, pre-1700 quyt, pre-1700 quyte, pre-1700 qwhit, pre-1700 qwhite, pre-1700 qwhyt, pre-1700 qwhyte, pre-1700 qwyt, pre-1700 vhyt, pre-1700 whait, pre-1700 wheet, pre-1700 wheit, pre-1700 whett, pre-1700 whitt, pre-1700 whyit, pre-1700 whyt, pre-1700 whytt, pre-1700 1700s quhyt, pre-1700 1700s wheat, pre-1700 1700s– whit (now only in compounds formed in earlier periods), pre-1700 1700s– white, pre-1700 1700s– whyte, pre-1700 1800s fyte (north-eastern), 1800s– fite (north-eastern), 1900s– quite, 1900s– wheite; also Irish English (Wexford) 1800s whit; N.E.D. (1924) also records a form late Middle English qwhyet. Also comparative Old English hwittra, early Middle English hwittere, early Middle English hwitture, early Middle English wittore, Middle English queþer (northern), Middle English quitter, Middle English qwhittar, Middle English whittere, Middle English whittore, Middle English whittur, Middle English whyettare, Middle English wyttore, Middle English–1500s whitter, Middle English–1500s whytter; Scottish pre-1700 whitter; N.E.D. (1924) also records a form early Middle English hwittore. Also superlative Middle English whittest, Middle English whyttest; Scottish pre-1700 quhittast.
Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.
Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian hwīt , wīt , Old Saxon hwīt , Old High German hwīz , wīz (Middle High German wīz , German weiß ), Old Icelandic hvítr , Norn (Shetland) whit , Old Swedish hviter (Swedish vit ), Old Danish hvid (Danish hvid ), Gothic hweits , and also (with short vowel and gemination) Old Frisian wit , (inflected form) witt- (West Frisian wyt ), Old Dutch wit (Middle Dutch wit , Dutch wit ), Middle Low German wit , (in inflected forms) witt- (German regional (Low German) wit , (in inflected forms) witt- ), all in a similar range of senses; further cognate with (with different ablaut grade) wheat n.; probably further related to the Indo-European base of Sanskrit śveta white, bright, śvit- to be white or bright, Avestan spaēta white, Old Church Slavonic svĭtěti to shine, světŭ light, Lithuanian šviesti to shine, although the relationship is difficult to explain phonologically.Further etymology. Although an etymological relationship with the words from different branches of Indo-European listed above is generally accepted, it poses phonological problems, since the Germanic forms, with –t , would suggest development from an Indo-European base with –d rather than –t . This discrepancy has not been satisfactorily explained. Form history in English. Forms with a long vowel (which give the modern standard form) and forms with a short vowel are attested; with the latter, compare similar short-vowel forms in other Germanic languages. It is usually assumed that the stem vowel was long in Old English, and that later English forms with a short vowel result from subsequent shortening. However, length of the stem vowel is often difficult to establish for historically attested forms. Forms with shortened vowel probably arose earliest in forms in which medial -tt- developed before r of the ending (in Old English in inflected forms of the strong adjective and especially in the comparative), but were reinforced by forms showing shortening before other consonant groups or in trisyllabic forms, especially in the superlative and in early compounds like white bread n. and whitethorn n., which regularly show shortening of the stem vowel in the first element. In post-Middle English compounds with shortened vowel in the first element, e.g. whittage (see whitage n.) and whittaile (see whitetail n.), it is unclear whether such short-vowel forms imply earlier attestation of the words in question, or simply show late formations on regional short-vowel types. In use as noun in Old English usually a strong neuter (hwīt ) or a weak neuter (hwīte ). Specific senses. With use in reference to royalist and counter-revolutionary movements (see sense A. 6) compare similar uses of French blanc (a1805), Russian belyj , Finnish valkoinen , all lit. ‘white’. With the related noun use (see sense B. 16b) compare Finnish Valkoiset , the name of a fighting force during the Finnish Civil War, initially formed from the White Guards, use as noun of the plural of valkoinen (compare White Army n. at Compounds 1f and White Guard n.). With sense A. 10 compare ancient Greek λευκός white, also used in this sense. In sense A. 11 probably after Italian bianco (1738 or earlier in this sense, frequently in voce bianca ); compare also ancient Greek λευκός white, (of the voice) clear, distinct (Aristotle). With uses as noun compare post-classical Latin album white of the eye (13th cent. in a British source), ancient Greek λευκόν the colour white, white of an egg, white of the eye, leucorrhoea, and Old High German wīza des eies white of an egg (Middle High German wīz , German Weiß ), and also French blanc blank n. With use in reference to garments (see sense B. 6b) perhaps compare the following:OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Festivals for Mark in W. W. Skeat Gospel St. Mark (1871) 5 Feria vi de albas [perh. read albis] paschae : frigedoeg of ðæm hwitum eostres.In this example post-classical Latin albae paschae denotes Easter week, lit. ‘the whites of Easter’, having reference to the white baptismal robes traditionally worn at this time (compare alb n. and see discussion at Whitsunday n.). With use in reference to white cloth (see sense B. 9) compare similar use of Middle Low German wit , witte (neuter noun). With sense B. 10a compare Middle Low German witte (masculine noun), denoting a small silver-coloured coin, and also wittes gheld silver or silver-coloured coins collectively. In sense B. 10b after the corresponding specific sense of French blanc blank n. With sense B. 8a compare Anglo-Norman and Old French blanc de l'oil , Middle French, French blanc de l'œil (c1210 in Old French). In sense B. 14 originally after early modern German weiss, neuter noun (1515 in the passage translated in quot. 1527, or earlier), perhaps itself after classical Latin album album n.1 In sense B. 16a after Italian bianco, noun (beginning of the 14th cent. in this sense; chiefly in plural bianchi).
A. adj. (and adv.)
I. In senses referring to physical appearance or physical properties.
1.
a. Of the lightest colour possible, that of milk or freshly fallen snow; designating this colour.From a scientific perspective, the quality of being white is due to the equal reflection or emission of all wavelengths of the visible spectrum of light; white objects therefore lack any distinctive hue. In general use, however, it is normally classed as a colour (cf. colour n.1 1a).In many instances designating things which only approximate to this colour. Cf. also sense A. 2a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [adjective]
whiteOE
blankc1325
blanch1330
candid1635
OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John xx. 12 Duos angelos in albis : tuoege engles in huitum gegerelum.
OE Homily: De Sancto Iohanne (Corpus Cambr. 198) in Englische Studien (1885) 8 477 His fet syndon blodreade begentwegen and se bile hwit.
a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 163 Hire chemise smal and hwit.
a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 57 (MED) Sume bereð clene cloð to watere to blechen him, þat hit beo wit.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 2810 In hise bosum he dede his hond: Quit and al unfer he it fond.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 2786 Tueye grete dragons out of þis stones come, Þe on was red þe oþer wyt.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 17288 + 216 Two aungels..Cled in white clothez.
a1425 J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 357 Þe sacrid oost, whijt & round.
c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) 719 Þe offrin of appolin..Ys a swan swiþe whit.
c1500 (?a1437) Kingis Quair (1939) xlvi Hir goldin hair and rich atyre..couchit with perllis quhite.
1541 in J. W. Clay Testamenta Eboracensia (1902) VI. 135 A gowne..the one side blake and the other side whitt.
1556 J. Heywood Spider & Flie lx. 5 With wheat tuskes fo[r]mde like a bore.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. iii. sig. P2 She..Was yclad..All in a silken Camus lylly whight.
a1650 E. Norgate Miniatura (Tanner 326) (1919) 52 Insteed of abortive parchment, by some called Gilding Vellum, make use of your pure white velim.
1733 E. Budgell Bee II. 924 It proving a Maiden Assizes, the Sheriffs, according to Custom, presented the Judges with white Gloves.
1806 W. Scott Palmer i The glen is white with the drifted snow.
1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps ii. i. 227 White light..is made up of an infinite number of coloured rays.
1912 C. N. Williamson & A. M. Williamson Guests of Hercules xvii A round white moon that flooded the night with silver.
1958 B. Wilder & I. A. L. Diamond Some like it Hot (film script) (O.E.D. Archive) 151 (stage direct.) Trapped, they duck under the banquet table, disappearing behind the long white tablecloth just as the banqueteers start to troop in.
1983 P. Gzowski Unbroken Line i. 35 In Mimico, Nel Snyder slipped a white coat over her pale, dusty-rose dress and sweater. She looked very nice.
2012 Scuba Apr. 51/1 Rain was now pelting down in sheets, and the wind was whipping the waves into white peaks.
b. Describing the colour of the hair or beard in old age. Also of a person: †white-haired, hoary (obsolete).In Old English also sometimes describing fair hair or a fair-haired person (cf. white-locked adj. (a) at Compounds 1f).
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > hair > colour of hair > [adjective] > white
whiteOE
wintry1579
the world > life > the body > hair > colour of hair > [adjective] > white > having
whiteOE
white-haired?a1425
white-headed1571
whitehead1577
OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 84 Cani, hwite hær on ealdum menn.
c1300 St. Mary of Egypt (Laud) 145 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 265 (MED) Hire her was hor and swiþe ȝwijȝt, as þei it were wolle.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 2045 Here berdes weren hore and whyte.
J. Metham Amoryus & Cleopes (1916) l. 1027 The qwyght herys Off sapyens.
a1500 (a1450) Partonope of Blois (BL Add.) (1912) l. 155 A knyghte, þe wyche hyte Nestor, Wyche for age was whyte and hore.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1537) f. 122v Honour ought to be gyuen for the good lyfe, and not for the whyte heade.
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 473 That he is olde..his white haires doe witnesse it. View more context for this quotation
1641 W. Prynne Antipathie 294 His very countenance, gravity, age, white comely head and beard, and the Majesty of his person might something move them to compassion.
1684 J. Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress 2nd Pt. Authors Way sig. A5v Old Honest,..With his white hairs treading the Pilgrim's ground. View more context for this quotation
1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. v His quhyt heid.
1826 H. N. Coleridge Six Months W. Indies 230 Venerable for his white hairs.
1887 F. M. Crawford Saracinesca iii His white hair and beard bristled about his dark face.
1931 E. Ferber Amer. Beauty iv. 72 Jotham Oakes, the little man, the dwarf, with his round red cheeks and his white thick hair, and his china-blue eyes.
1971 L. Beckwith About my Father's Business (1973) i. 12 She was such a tiny wisp of a woman with a pink puckered face and scanty white hair that looked as if it had blown off a seeded dandelion.
2010 J. McGregor Even Dogs (2011) ii. 23 Looked like someone's auntie or granny with her cardigans and her white hair and her glasses on a chain around her neck but she never took grief from no one.
c. Wearing white clothing, a white emblem, etc.; spec. belonging to an ecclesiastical order distinguished by the wearing of a white habit.Cf. white canon n. at Compounds 1f, White Father n. (b) at Compounds 1f, white man n. 1, white nun n. at Compounds 1f, White Sister n. at Compounds 1f, White Friar n., white monk n.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [adjective] > wearing specific coloured clothing
whiteOE
blackc1300
reda1325
yellowa1350
purpureda1382
saffron-mantled1558
saffron robed1558
blue1600
scarleta1616
candidate1616
black-robed1673
swart1688
empurpled1766
blue-clad1767
black-clothed1800
sabled1804
blue-bloused1837
porporate1868
society > faith > church government > monasticism > religious order > [adjective] > clothed in white
whitea1470
OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) iv. xxvii. 298 Þa geseah he hwite weras & eac eallunga beorhte [L. albatos uiros et clari omnimodo habitus] ofdune gestigan.
c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 199 Heo iseoð þare soðfestræ..murhðe and isæliȝe monnæ hwit werod heriȝende ure Drihten.
c1225 (?c1200) St. Katherine (Royal) (1981) 727 Haseh sitten þis meiden mid monie hwite wurðliche men.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 11926 Maister philip porpeis, þat was a quointe man..Hii made a wit legat..& he stod as a legat vpe þe castel walle.
c1425 (c1400) Prymer (Cambr.) (1895) 7 Þe whit [L. candidatus] oost of martris.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 877 He com to a whyght abbay.
c1475 (a1400) Sir Amadace (Taylor) in J. Robson Three Early Eng. Metrical Romances (1842) 42 (MED) Quod the quite knyȝte, ‘Quat mon is this?’
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 178 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 100 The se mawis war monkis ye blak & ye quhyte.
1598 J. Stow Suruay of London 89 K. Edward..builded there a monasterie, placing an Abbot, and monkes of the Cistercian (or white) order.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) v. v. 36 Fairies blacke, gray, greene, and white . View more context for this quotation
1764 Monthly Rev. 30 App. 525 These white brothers having gotten the dead body of the suicide Marc Antony Calas, celebrated a solemn service to him, as to a Martyr.
1846 Continental Echo Mar. 67/2 We have in France, ‘sisters’ of all colours—grey sisters, black sisters, white sisters.
1867 J. M'Clintock & J. Strong Cycl. Biblical, Theol., & Eccl. Lit. I. 886/1 From their white dresses they were more commonly called Fratres Albati, or White Brothers, or White Penitents.
1903 P. J. Chandlery Pilgrim-walks in Rome (1908) 128 The Olivetans or white Benedictines.
1951 ‘J. Tey’ Daughter of Time x. 135 She's buried in the Church of the White Carmelites at Norwich.
2008 P. Ball Universe of Stone (2009) iii. 60 The White Order was itself challenged by the appearance of mendicant (‘begging’) orders such as the gentle Franciscans and the militant Dominicans.
d. Heraldry. Of the colour or tincture white; argent. Cf. sense B. 7b.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > heraldic tincture > [adjective] > of one colour
whitea1460
claurie1486
a1460 in Archaeologia (1814) 17 226 (MED) The Bages that he beryth by the Erldom of March ys a white Lyon.
a1630 D. Hume Hist. Houses Douglas & Angus (1644) 8 They put a white or argent bar, which beginning at the right hand is drawn along, and ends at the left.
1741 E. Chambers Cyclopædia (ed. 5) I. at Argent Where the white is supposed to represent a fur, and not a metal, it may be blazoned white.
1826 London Mag. June 180 Her saltier gules was super-imposed on the argent or white saltier of St. Andrew.
1915 G. C. Rothery A.B.C. of Heraldry xx. 226 A white greyhound courant collared azure.
2011 N. Tidridge Canada's Constit. Monarchy xii. 195 Near the top of the flag is the traditional heraldic mark of an eldest male child, the three-point white label.
e. Science. Designating radiation other than visible light, esp. X-rays and sound, having approximately equal intensities at all the frequencies of its range; esp. in white noise (see white noise n.).This use arises by analogy with the similar composition of white light.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > science of sound > [noun] > random noise
white1917
random noise1937
pink noise1961
red noise1961
the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > radioactivity > X-rays > [adjective] > having equal intensity at all frequencies
white1917
1917 Physical Rev. 9 65 The ‘white’ or continuous X-radiation are the electro-magnetic pulses produced by the accelerations of the electrons.
1922 Nature 1 Apr. 414/2 An element emitting X-rays not only gives out ‘white’ radiation, but superposes its characteristic lines on the general spectrum.
1936 N. Feather Introd. Nucl. Physics x. 153 It may be assumed to arise in the recovery of the nucleus from a state of excitation, otherwise..it must be taken to correspond to the white X-radiation.
1974 L. Gould Final Anal. i. 5 A few had white-sound machines imitating the ocean.
1995 New Scientist 29 Apr. 34/1 The diffraction patterns produced by white radiation are complicated.
2012 T. Egami & S. J. L. Billinge Underneath Bragg Peaks iv. 118 Synchrotron radiation is an intense, white X-ray beam.
2. Of a light or reflective colour, esp. one which may be contrasted with a darker alternative.
a. Of a light or pale colour; of an indefinite hue approaching white, esp. a dull or pale shade of yellow.Cf. note at sense A. 1a. See also white corn n. at Compounds 1g(b)(ii), white crop n. at Compounds 1f, white grape n. at Compounds 1g(b)(ii), white soil n. at Compounds 1f, white bread n. and adj., white loaf n., white wine n., etc.
ΚΠ
OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John iv. 35 Uidete regiones quia albae sunt..ad messem : geseað ða lond forðon huito sint..to hrippe.
?a1200 (?OE) Peri Didaxeon (1896) 43 His anwlita byþ blac, and his migga byþ hwit, and he sceal ȝelomelice miȝan.
c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) 1729 Win hwit and red, ful god plente.
a1450 in T. Austin Two 15th-cent. Cookery-bks. (1888) 29 (MED) Hwyte Hony or Sugre.
a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 701 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 323 A qwyte cuppe of tre.
?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. viiiv Sprot barley hath a flat eyre..and the cornes be very great & white.
1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 9 This sayle..was not white, but redde, dyed in graine, and of the culler of scarlett.
1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §874 Water of the Sea..looketh Blacker when it is moued, and Whiter when it resteth.
1685 J. Evelyn Diary (1955) IV. 481 The Canale, & fishponds, the one fed with a white, the other with a black-running water.
1760 J. Ball Mod. Pract. Physic I. vi. 95 The eruptions are either red or white, and sometimes both together, and are more or less acute, benign, or malignant.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine Transl. French Terms at Cordage blanc White, or untarred cordage.
1846 G. Dodd Brit. Manuf. 6th Ser. 196 When a rope is to be used in the open air, but under cover, it is left in the ‘white’ state; that is, it is not coated with tar or any other substance.
1911 F. M. Farmer Catering for Special Occasions viii. 196 Three layer sandwiches are attractive when made of entire wheat bread between white slices.
1948 L. Durrell Let. in A. G. Thomas Spirit of Place (1969) 97 One new delicacy..called Palmita. It's the white heart of a small Brazilian palm tree, tastes like a mixture of oyster and asparagus.
1984 Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen xii. 297 The restaurants use New York white veal.
2006 Daily Tel. 14 Sept. 22/2 A thick white soup made from fermented rye flour and flavoured with sausage and mushrooms.
b. Designating a metal or alloy that is of a very pale grey colour and lustrous appearance; made from such a metal or alloy. In early use spec. designating silver, esp. as contrasted with gold. Also (of silverware): †not gilded (obsolete); †chased or roughened rather than burnished (obsolete). Cf. white gold n.2 1a, white gold n.2 1c.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > reflection > [adjective] > lustrous or shining with reflected light > of or like precious stones, metals, or fabrics
whiteOE
orientc1400
steel-brighta1560
metalline1596
sparry1792
metallic1794
orichalceous1826
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [adjective] > silvery
whiteOE
silverc1405
silverish1530
argentine1578
argenta1593
silver-coloured1594
silver-white1598
silver-like1611
silvery1611
argenteous1881
silvern1885
OE Beowulf (2008) 1448 Ac se hwita helm hafelan werede.
OE Ælfric Old Eng. Hexateuch: Josh. (Claud.) vii. 21 Twahund entsa hwites seolfres.
c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 201 Þeah we us scrydæn mid þam rædeste golde and mid þam hwiteste seolfre.., þeah þe mon sceal ece ende abidæn.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 120 Read gold. hwit seoluer.
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. xiv. 482 He [sc. Vesper] haþ colour..schinynge as electrum, þat is metalle þat is most whit and briȝt.
1432 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 26 (MED) Also v chales of seluer, iiij gilt & j white.
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 129 Quadrentis [MS In adrentes] coruen all of quyte siluyre.
1473 in F. W. Weaver Somerset Medieval Wills (1901) 226 (MED) 2 bolle peces all white..and a dosein spones with wrethen knappes gilte.
a1500 (a1450) Partonope of Blois (BL Add.) (1912) l. 3912 Syr wythte hys swerd, wyche was..Wyth golde and perell Reche be-gone.
1542 in T. Thomson Coll. Inventories Royal Wardrobe (1815) 72 Quhyt Werk. Item ane greit bassing for feit wesching.
a1627 T. Middleton et al. Widdow (1652) iv. ii. 48 A white thimble that I found i' moon light.
1761 Ann. Reg., Chron. 232 One of his majesty's best suits of white armour.
1816 W. Scott Antiquary I. xi. 251 Four white shillings and saxpence.
1922 T. M. Lowry Inorg. Chem. xliv. 889 Indium... The element is a soft, white, malleable, metal.
2008 F. Cardarelli Materials Handbk. (ed. 2) iv. 265 The pure metal [sc. radium] is brilliant white when freshly prepared but tarnishes on exposure to air.
c. Colourless, uncoloured, transparent, clear.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > transparency or translucence > [adjective] > and colourless
whiteOE
water-white1877
the world > matter > colour > state or mode of having colour > absence of colour > [adjective]
huelessc1000
whiteOE
plainc1330
uncoloured1538
undyed1538
colourless1610
blank1667
unteinted1745
achromatic1759
achromic1762
etiolated1784
tintless1789
unshaded1823
achromatous1845
untinted1849
unpigmented1853
achromatistous1878
achromous1878
achroous1878
decolorized1879
etiolized1880
untoned1897
OE Lapidary 14 Sum stan h[a]tte alexandrius; se bið hwit & cristallum gelic.
c1425 tr. J. Arderne Treat. Fistula (Sloane 6) (1910) 54 Poudre of white glasse.
1495 Trevisa's Bartholomeus De Proprietatibus Rerum (de Worde) xvi. cii. sig. Miiijv/2 Those [sc. Zineth stones] that ben whyttest..ben not so precyous.
1559 P. Morwyng tr. C. Gesner Treasure of Euonymus 57 The best [vessels] are made of whyte glas, as at Venice, suche may be made with vs of the peces of spectacle glasses & other skrapes of whyt glas gathered together.
a1645 W. Laud Hist. Troubles (1695) xxxiv. 329 The King's Arms standing alone in a white Window, was not taken down out of any ill meaning.
1662 C. Merrett tr. A. Neri Art of Glass 147 The pots wherein Enamels are made must be glased with white glass and bear the fire.
1738 G. C. Deering Catalogus Stirpium 128 Thousands of little white Bubbles filled with Water.
1890 C. H. Moore Devel. & Char. Gothic Archit. x. 303 White glass is introduced here and there [in a stained-glass window] to heighten the effect.
1910 R. Cobleigh Handy Farm Devices 277 Mix equal parts of gem salt, rock alum, white vinegar, chalk and Peebles powder.
1970 E. Bruton Diamonds (1978) xii. 264 Grading a cut stone for colour means deciding the amount by which it deviates from the whitest possible (truly colourless) i.e. how much off-colour it is.
2002 N.Y. Times 12 May ix. 9/4 Long Island iced tea..has in it every white liquor..vodka, gin, rum and tequila. It's a frat party in a glass.
d. Of paper: blank, not written or printed upon; †(of a document) unendorsed (cf. white-backed adj. 1) (obsolete). Also in figurative contexts. Cf. white paper n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > writing materials > material to write on > paper > [adjective] > blank paper, not written upon
white1466
void1551
blanka1555
empty1579
fair1606
uninked1637
clean1704
1466 in C. L. Kingsford Stonor Lett. & Papers (1919) I. 87 Ye seye þat ye have paid þe money; þer for y sende yowe the writte white.
a1586 in W. A. Craigie Maitland Folio MS (1919) I. 238 Gif lytill rewarde be in wryting Better war leif my paper quhyt.
a1600 (c1515) Flodden Field (Harl. 367) l. 233 in I. F. Baird Poems Stanley Family (D.Phil. thesis, Univ. of Birm.) (1990) 260 Swete sonne Edward, white bokes thou make, And ever have petye on the poore comyntye.
1681 Exact Coll. Deb. House of Commons 166 These Bills will..make your Banishing Bill, and Association-Bill too, as ineffectual as White Paper.
1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 291 That no Letters or Spaces lye in the White-lines of the Form.
1710 tr. B. Telles Trav. Jesuits in Ethiopia ii. vi. 148 His Poverty was such, that he was reduc'd to tear the first white Page out of his Breviary to write a Letter on.
1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 250 Open matter, with leads and white-lines between.
1772 Gentleman's Mag. Apr. 192/1 She's fair White Paper, an unsully'd sheet.
1868 H. Ward & A. Plesner tr. H. C. Andersen in in Aunt Judy's Mag. 2 Nov. 3 He would bring forth a copy-book, with clean white leaves, and paste it full of pictures out of books and newspapers.
1943 Pop. Mech. July 154/2 You must learn to read the earth out on the steppes, on the white pages of snow.
2004 Folio Summer 14 From the moment, in December 1944, that he typed ‘Something Fresh by Pelham Grenville Wodehouse’ on to a clean white page of foolscap, he had the feeling he was going to hit the jackpot.
e. Chess and Draughts. Designating a white or light-coloured piece, or the player using these pieces. Also: designating a white or light-coloured square on the board.
ΚΠ
1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) iv. ii. 165 He [sc. the king] begynneth thus to meue from his whyt poynt.
a1475 in H. J. R. Murray Hist. Chess (1913) 602 (MED) Draw þi white aufen & sey ‘chec’..þe white men drauȝt furst.
1614 A. Saul Famous Game Chesse-play ii. sig. B2 Place the white Queene next her King in a white house, which is the fourth house on that side of the field.
1735 J. Bertin Chess 71 And if the white queen takes the black queen, it loses the game by Patt.
1799 P. Pratt Theory of Chess iv. 93 The white player will, with his bishop, cover the check.
1811 Sporting Mag. Nov. 74/1 A man moves obliquely forward one square at a time, viz. from one white square to another white square.
1890 R. F. Green Chess v. 17 A frequent and fatal fork. The White Knight..attacks both the Black King and Queen.
1905 H. Chadwick How to learn to play Chess 28 The ‘check by discovery’ is accomplished by the forward move of the white pawn, which leaves the king in check by the white bishop.
1969 ‘A. Glyn’ Dragon Variation i. 9 Mrs. Oppenheimer decided to fianchetto her white-square Bishop and moved her Queen's Knight's Pawn to Knight 3.
1982 J. Caris Reality Inspector xiv. 98 The white player moves her rook.
2001 N. Gaiman Amer. Gods (2002) iv. 90 He took a white [checkers] piece from the pile beside the board and kinged his man.
f. Designating a sweet cake, sponge, etc., of a whitish colour, typically with a plain or vanilla flavour.In later use esp. with reference to cakes made using egg whites, rather than whole eggs or egg yolks. Cf. yellow adj. 1h.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > cake > [adjective] > qualities of cake
white1727
lardy1879
eggy1901
melt-in-the-mouth1910
molten1991
1727 E. Smith Compl. Housewife 136 To make the White Cake. Take three quarts of the finest Flour, a pound and a half of Butter [etc.].
1882 F. E. Owens Cook Bk. 161 Angels' food. In other words, White Sponge Cake.
1925 Woman's World (Chicago) Apr. 42/3 (advt.) Take the first delicious bite of this simple white cake and find into what a soft, fluffy delicacy Swans Down can transform even an inexpensive two-egg recipe.
2009 M. Stewart Martha Stewart's Cupcakes 154 White cupcakes, made with egg whites only (instead of whole eggs), are very light and delicate.
g. Chiefly British. Of coffee or tea: served with milk or cream.Recorded earliest in white coffee n. at Compounds 1f. Cf. also white tea n. at Compounds 1f.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > coffee > [adjective] > with milk
white1810
1810 A. Burr Jrnl. 19 Sept. in Private Jrnl. (1838) II. 45 Tired, and must go to sleep, but will have a supper first. Eggs and white coffee.
1940 Punch (Summer No.) 6 May (caption) Please don't hesitate to say if you prefer your coffee white.
1982 H. Shaw Death of Don i. 3 ‘Black or white, Master?’ ‘White, please.’.. They took their coffee and brandy and sat down.
2000 S. Fallon & M. Rothschild World Food: France (Lonely Planet Guide) 105 Tea is usually served nature (plain) or au citron (with lemon) and never with milk. If you do like it white just ask for ‘un peu de lait frais’ (a little fresh milk).
h. Particle Physics. Originally (of a quark): having the colour white (sense B. 20) (now rare or disused). In later use (of a particle): having no colour charge.Quarks initially called white are now usually called green or yellow.
ΚΠ
1966 A. Pais in A. Zichichi Recent Devel. Particle Symmetries 406 If a baryon is made up of a red, a white and a blue quark, they are all different fermions and you thus get rid of the forced antisymmetry of the spatial wave function.
1974 New Scientist 19 Dec. 872/2 ‘Coloured’ particles invoke the ideas of Han and Nambu that the normal (‘white’) hadrons are built from a kind of average over ‘red’, ‘green’ and ‘blue’ triplets of quarks.
1987 R. K. Adair Great Design xvii. 341 If the observations of nature are to be invariant under the changes, the field must act so as to retain the octet symmetry of the colors making up any hadron; the hadron must remain white.
1996 L. H. Ryder Quantum Field Theory (ed. 2) i. 4 The quantum number is known as colour, the degrees of freedom being chosen variously as red, white and blue, red, green and blue, etc.
2010 S. D. Hassani From Atoms to Galaxies xxxiv. 527 The net color charge of a hadron is zero. Stated differently, a hadron is colorless (or white).
3. Of or with reference to the skin or complexion: light in colour, pale, fair.In earlier use a conventional attribute of (especially female) beauty. Cf. fair adj. 17.Frequently implying that a person with such an appearance does not undertake manual work and avoids contact with bright sunlight.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > skin > complexion > whiteness or fairness > [adjective]
whiteOE
fairc1175
whitelya1387
blonde1481
whitelewe1495
fair-faced1553
buttermilk1606
lilied1614
white-skin1634
light-complexioned1770
leucous1842
blondine1867
blonde-complexioned1881
leucodermic1926
blondish1961
OE Cynewulf Elene 73 Þuhte him wlitescyne on weres hade hwit ond hiwbeorht hæleða nathwylc geywed ænlicra þonne he ær oððe sið gesege.
OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxxi. 440 He is blæcfexede & cyrps, hwit on lichaman [L. caro eius candida], & he hæfþ steape eagan & medemlice nosu.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 92 Hire seolf bi halden hire achne hwite honden.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 566 In þe worlde her pere nas, So ȝwit ne of suich color.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 28010 Yee leuedis, wit your quite hals.
a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1881) ii. l. 1062 Þow Mynerua þe white, Yef þow me wit my lettre to deuyse.
a1505 R. Henryson Thre Deid Pollis 25 in Poems (1981) 183 O ladeis quhyt, in claithis corruscant.
?a1535 To City of London (Vitellius) in J. Small Poems W. Dunbar (1893) II. 277 Fair be their wives, right lovesom, white and small.
1598 J. Marston Certaine Satyres in Metamorph. Pigmalions Image 60 Ye Granta's white Nymphs, come.
1622 L. Digges tr. G. de Céspedes y Meneses Gerardo ii. i. 265 My Mistris..faining an occasion of taking off her Gloue, without it, returned me her beautifull white hand.
1689 N. Lee Princess of Cleve ii. ii He has..a Skin so white—and soft as Sattin with the Grain.
1724 G. Cheyne Ess. Health 227 Slender Muscles and Bones; soft Flesh; a white, fair, blanch'd or ashen-coloured Complexion..are certain Signs of loose, flabby, or relaxed Nerves.
1791 C. Smith Celestina I. ix. 164 She..was very pale and thin, but she had such beautiful eyes, and hands so white!
1821 London Mag. Feb. 172 From white brow to bosom, All ruddy she wax'd, as the dewy rose blossom.
1888 J. Hunter-Duvar De Roberval 183 Her low, white brow was broad, with banded hair, Like the Madonna's hair of ruddy brown, But with a wavy rimple in't.
1900 S. J. Weyman Story Francis Cludde (new ed.) xxiii. 262 He hesitated, fumbling with his surplice with his feeble white hands.
1951 G. Heyer Quiet Gentleman i. 13 Martin, his affronted stare taking in..the extravagant points of a shirt-collar, and the ordered waves of guinea-gold hair above a white brow, muttered audibly: ‘Good God! the fellow's nothing but a curst dandy!’
1997 B. O'Connor Tell her you love Her 105 Helen set a foot out like a set dancer's. Ian, she remembered, had loved, no, adored her tiny white hands and feet.
4.
a. Abnormally pale or pallid, esp. from illness, or from fear or other emotion. Frequently in (typically hyperbolic) similes (cf. as white as a sheet at sheet n.1 3c), in extended use designating an emotion causing pallor (as white rage, white terror), or in allusive phrases expressing cowardice (cf. white-liver n., white-livered adj.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > skin > complexion > paleness > [adjective]
blatec1000
whiteOE
greena1275
blakec1275
bleykea1300
wana1300
palec1330
bleach1340
pale and wan (wan and pale)c1374
colourlessc1380
deadlyc1385
deadc1386
bloodlessc1450
earthlyc1460
ruddylessc1460
wan visaged?a1513
wanny1555
as pale or white as a clout1557
bleak1566
mealy1566
pale-faced1570
ghastly1574
white-faced1577
bleakish1581
pallid1590
whiggish1590
tallow-faced1592
maid-pale1597
lily1600
whey-colour1602
lew1611
roseless1611
Hippocratical1615
cadaverousa1661
Hippocratic1681
smock-faced1684
white-looked1690
livid1728
as white (or pale) as a sheet1752
squalid1753
deathly1791
etiolated1791
light-skinned1802
suety1803
shilpit1813
blanched1828
tallowy1830
suet-faced1834
pasty1836
tallowish1838
whey-faced1847
pasty-faced1848
aghast1850
waxen1853
complexionless1863
light-skin1877
lily-cheeked1877
lardy1879
wan-faced1881
exsanguinous1889
wheatish1950
the mind > emotion > fear > cowardice or pusillanimity > [adjective] > white (of liver)
white1600
OE Leechbk. Fragm. (Harl.) (1865) ii. lix. 280 Ontyne þu his muð, sceawa his tungan, þonne bið heo on þa healfe hwittre þe seo adl on beon wile.
OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Exod. (Claud.) iv. 6 Do þine hand on þinne bosum; þa he hi dide on his bosum, þa brohte he hi forð hreof[l]e, swa hwit swa snaw [L. leprosam instar nivis].
c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 2175 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 169 Þe Monekus..þis holi bodi toke And leiden faire In one bere;..Þat face was ȝwyȝt and cler i-nouȝ, and no blod nas þar-inne.
a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 299 (MED) Ȝonge men þat ben white & pale..ne ben not couenable to be lete blood.
a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Num. xii. 10 Marie apperide whijt [a1382 E.V. shynynge; L. candens] with lepre as snow.
?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 52 Than lay I furght my bright buke on breid on my kne..And drawis my clok forthwart our my face quhit.
1594 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis (new ed.) sig. Eijv Didst thou not marke my face, was it not white? Sawest thou not signes of feare lurke in mine eye?
1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. ii. 86 How many cowards..weare..The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars, who inward searcht, haue lyuers white as milke. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) ii. ii. 63 I shame To weare a Heart so white . View more context for this quotation
1618 Bp. J. Hall Contempl. IV. O.T. xiii. 229 Now we see..those, which haue giuen good proofes of magnanimitie, at other times, haue bewrayed white liuers.
1753 J. Collier Ess. Art of Tormenting i. ii. 46 She..looks as white as a cloth.
1799 R. Southey Bp. Hatto 35 He had a countenance white with alarm.
1841 S. Warren Ten Thousand a Year i. x He hurried down..white with rage.
1860 S. Brooks Gordian Knot ii The most gentlemanly millionaire of them all has since been transported, and another is in white terror of a similar destiny.
1866 G. MacDonald Ann. Quiet Neighbourhood xxxii She is as white as a sheet.
1885 ‘F. Anstey’ Tinted Venus vi He was in a white rage.
1897 H. Caine Christian iii. xii. 311 The man..turned white as a ghost.
1912 C. E. Mulford & J. W. Clay Buck Peters, Ranchman i. 14 ‘Tex!.. When did you get here? Going to stay?.. You look white—sick?’ ‘City color..,’ replied the other.
1952 A. White Sugar House (1993) i. xi. 113 He had gone white and she knew that he had guessed.
1997 J. Updike Toward End of Time 144 Her face in the shade of its Caribbean sunhat went white with fury at the thought of the deer invading her property.
†b. Designating a fever, illness, etc., marked by pallor. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > quality of colour > [adjective] > relating to tone > light or pale
whiteeOE
palec1350
lighta1398
whitey1556
bleak1566
wan1567
whitish1577
pasty1607
mirage1927
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [adjective] > other characteristics
hoteOE
redeOE
foulOE
elvishc1386
dryc1400
whitec1450
Naples1507
shaking1528
cold1569
exquisite1583
unpure1583
waterish1583
wandering1585
legitimate1615
sulphureous1625
tetrous1637
cagastrical1662
medical1676
ambulatory1684
ebullient1684
frantic1709
animated1721
progressive1736
cagastric1753
vegetative1803
left-handed1804
specific1804
subacute1811
animate1816
gregarious1822
vernal1822
ambilateral1824
subchronic1831
regressive1845
nummular1866
postoperative1872
ambulant1873
non-surgical1888
progredient1891
spodogenous1897
spodogenic19..
non-invasive1932
early-onset1951
adult-onset1957
non-specific1964
eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xxx. 228 Sio hwite riefþo þe mon on suþerne lepra hæt.
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iv. l. 2369 While he laie þus in his þrowes white.
c1450 (c1400) Cuckoo & Nightingale (Fairf.) (1975) l. 41 (MED) I am so alayn [perh. read shaken] with the feueres white, Of al this May yet slept I but a lyte.
1509 tr. A. de la Sale Fyftene Ioyes of Maryage (de Worde) (new ed.) v. sig. F.iv He as yet, is in good cas and plyte For he is taken, with the feuers whyte In suche a wyse, that what is best to do He knoweth not, loue dooth constrayne hym so.
5.
a. Also with capital initial. Belonging to or denoting a light-skinned group of people, esp. one of European origin or descent. Also in extended use. Cf. sense B. 18, and black adj. 3a.Recorded earliest in white man n. 2.The term has often been used in the context of more or less formal attempted systems of racial classification (cf. race n.6 1d and also Caucasian adj.), but is also often closely tied to perceptions of ethnicity and of social and cultural identity. Sometimes used with implicit or explicit exclusion of certain groups wholly or partly of European descent (cf. e.g. quot. 1973 and quot. 1726 at sense B. 18).See also poor white adj., whitefellow n., white Negro n., white nigger n., white slave n., etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > poverty > [noun] > poor person > poor white people
whitea1398
poor white folk1823
the world > people > ethnicities > division of mankind by physical characteristics > white person > [adjective] > as racial characteristic
whitea1398
whitey1798
honky1967
the world > people > ethnicities > division of mankind by physical characteristics > white person > [noun] > poor white person > collectively
whitea1398
white folks1735
poor white1781
white trash1821
poor white trash1822
trailer trash1943
society > society and the community > social class > the common people > low rank or condition > [noun] > collectively > specifically white
whitea1398
white trash1821
low-downer1883
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iv. ii. 136 And so in hote londes comeþ forþ blake men and browne, as among þe Moores, in coolde lond white men [L. albi], as among þe Sclaues.
1555 R. Eden in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde f. 239v If it were not that such vyttayles and prouisions were brought them owt of Spaine and Portugale, the whyte marchauntes..shulde not bee able to lyue there.
1582 N. Lichefield tr. F. L. de Castanheda 1st Bk. Hist. Discouerie E. Indias xxx. f. 75 Their king is a Moore, and so are the inhabitants, the naturall people of the Countrie are a kinde of blacke people, and those that are strangers are white.
1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. xi. 106 Under the same line..lies a part of Peru, and of the new kingdome of Grenado, which..are very temperate Countries,..and the inhabitants are white.
1680 C. Ness Compl. Church-hist. 27 The White Line, (the Posterity of Seth,)..the black Line the Cursed brood of Cain.
1777 Summary Acc. Tobago 29 The white inhabitants..do not exceed seven hundred. The negroes, amounting to about twelve thousand, are kept in awe by an active militia.
1831 M. Prince Hist. W. Indian Slave 4 Slavery hardens white people's hearts towards the blacks.
1897 Daily News 23 June 15/3 In Northern Queensland..the white farmer and his family do most of the work themselves.
1916 G. B. Shaw Androcles & Lion Pref. p. li Practically all the white inhabitants of the British Isles and the North American continent.
1966 N. Gordimer Late Bourgeois World (1982) 27 Max was one of a group of white people who marched into an African area prohibited to whites.
1973 Black Panther 7 Apr. 13/2 The ‘Special’ Attica Grand Jury has brought indictments against 46 Black prison inmates, 8 White prison inmates, 5 Latino's [sic] and one Mohawk Native American.
2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 15 June (Week in Review section) 14/2 The monument featured a gigantic white pioneer in a buckskin coat holding a nearly naked Indian in a death's grip, while off to the side a frail white woman crouched over her infant.
b. Also with capital initial. Of or relating to white people.Also (chiefly U.S. and South African): (in an area of racial segregation) reserved for or restricted to white people (now historical).
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > ethnicities > division of mankind by physical characteristics > white person > [adjective]
European1666
white1726
whitey1798
Caucasian1807
paleface1830
blue-eyed1838
papalagi1844
Caucasic1890
Caucasoid1902
ofay1911
leucoderm1924
pinko-grey1924
pink1930
ladino1934
mzungu1961
honky1967
mlungu1973
umlungu1976
palagi1977
1726 T. Salmon Mod. Hist. (new ed.) III. 6 The Fort stands pretty near the middle of the White Town where the Europeans inhabit.
1793 P. Campbell Trav. Interior Parts N. Amer. 103 We would at least have some means of supporting ourselves, be the next Indian or white settlement at what distance it would.
1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin (U.K. ed.) xxiii He had white blood in his veins.
1868 N.Y. Herald 4 July 5/2 The registered white vote has been very greatly increased.
1870 Independent (N.Y.) 10 Mar. 4/2 This wretched policy, carried out to its full extent, looks forward to white churches and colored, white schools and colored, white cars and colored, white polling-districts and colored.
1897 R. S. S. Baden-Powell Matabele Campaign xviii. 472 The white power of South Africa.
1906 Washington Post 26. Nov. 3/2 The conductor, backed up by a host of indignant Southerners, refused to allow the colored prisoners in the ‘white’ car.
1937 L. Dowling & E. Dowling tr. H. Panassié Hot Jazz ii. 28 White musicians were playing..a so-called ‘white’ hot style intended to compete with the other style.
1955 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 21 20/2 It cannot be assumed that Comanche knowledge of White culture is restricted to those traits for which the language provides unitary terms.
2005 Femina (S. Afr.) Feb. 72/1 I'd take my Yeoville madam's children to school on the bus, walk home because a black woman wasn't allowed on a white bus without them, and thoroughly clean the house.
2010 New Yorker 4 Oct. 49/1 If Martin Luther King, Jr., had tried to do a wiki-boycott in Montgomery, he would have been steamrollered by the white power structure.
c. colloquial (originally U.S.). Honourable; square-dealing. Also as adv. Now somewhat rare and generally regarded as offensive.Cf. white man n. 3.In origin probably chiefly reflecting racial and cultural stereotypes formerly associated with European descent (and hence implying contrast with people of other races), although perhaps partly informed also by sense A. 7a.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > virtue > honourableness > [adjective]
faireOE
goodlyOE
selec1275
honourablec1384
just1509
ingenuous1610
squarea1644
even down1654
white1837
sportsmanlike1899
1837 M. Huxley in T. M. Cooley Sketches Life & Char. L. Haynes iv. 73 ‘The preacher had not proceeded far in his sermon,’ said the man, ‘before I thought him the whitest man I ever saw.’
1865 ‘M. Twain’ Sketches (1875) 74 The parson..was one among the whitest men I ever see.
1876 W. Besant & J. Rice Golden Butterfly II. v. 83 A good fellow is Rayner; as white a man as I ever knew.
1913 E. Wharton Custom of Country xviii I meant to act white by you.
1948 K. S. Prichard Golden Miles 374 Tom Gough's one of the finest, whitest men ever drew breath. There's not two like him born in a century.
2004 T. C. Boyle Inner Circle i. i. 26 I never really got to thank you for what you've done..—it was really white of you.
d. Also with capital initial. Designating the white population of a specified country, region, etc., as a cultural or political entity, as white America, white South Africa, etc. See also white Africa n. at Compounds 1f, White Australia n. at Compounds 1f.
ΚΠ
1837 Liberator 23 June 103/3 Just published and for sale at the Anti-Slavery office, a pamphlet... White America is here judged out of her own mouth.
1876 N.-Y. Times 5 Aug. 4/6 The enfranchisement of the freedmen is another great fact,..the white South denounces it as a crime.
1939 R. F. A. Hoernlé S. Afr. Native Policy 1 To protect White South Africa against ‘the Native Danger’..is..the simple pole towards which the needle of Native Policy steadily points.
1978 D. Austin Politics in Afr. iv. 97 White Rhodesia had always relied on black nationalist disunity.
1991 Geogr. Mag. Feb. 26/4 White America briefly embraced ‘black power’, soul music and ‘afro’ hair-styles back in the 1960s.
2007 Pakistan Horizon 60 32 We now have blacks and Asians as members of Parliament and in most professions which previously were the exclusive domain of white Britain.
6. Of, relating to, or designating any of various (esp. royalist, counter-revolutionary, or anti-communist) political groups associated with the colour white. See sense B. 16b, and cf. red adj. 18, White Guard n., White Russian n. 2, White Russian adj. 2, and White Terror n.The colour white has been associated particularly with royalist and legitimist causes (e.g. the white flag of the Bourbons: see white flag n. 2), and hence with counter-revolutionary, anti-communist, reactionary, or conservative parties such as those who opposed the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War (1917–22), those who opposed the socialists before and during the Finnish Civil War of 1918, the Kuomintang in China, and the Christian Democrats in Italy.With quot. ?1740, cf. cockade n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > groups or attitudes right to left > [adjective] > right
illiberal1649
white?1740
right1794
conservative1802
centre-right1822
agricolous1825
hunkerish1857
right wing1857
rightward1887
rightist1894
rightwards1931
right-of-centre1937
establishmentarian1962
righty1970
neo-con1979
New Rightist1981
society > authority > rule or government > politics > political philosophy > principles of or attachment to types of government > [adjective] > supporting monarchy
royal1600
Regious1651
royalist1680
white?1740
royalistical1801
royalistic1840
monarchistic1890
society > authority > rule or government > politics > Italian politics > [adjective] > relating to Christian democrats
white1903
society > authority > rule or government > politics > politics in India and Far East > [adjective] > principles, policies, or parties in China
white1937
Yenan1949
Maoist1951
lean to one side1956
Sanfan1956
Wufan1956
three-anti1966
Tachai1969
?1740 Ally Croaker's Garland 5 Duke William is King George's Son, And from his Royal Blood he sprung, Here's no Pretender dare invade, He'd mill his Nob, and white Cockade.
a1795 J. Boswell Life Johnson (1904) anno 1763 I. 288 [Johnson:] Boswell, in the year 1745,..wore a white cockade, and prayed for King James.
1815 Times 13 July 2/5 In consequence, his Majesty orders the resumption of the white cockade..as the only rallying sign of Frenchmen.
1879 J. Macdonell France since 1st Empire 117 The French ministers could show clemency at Paris, but they were not so well able to keep down the fury of the Royalists in the provinces. Thus was the Red Terror succeeded by the White.
1903 Daily Chron. 20 June 3/2 His position is that known in Italy as ‘White’, or constitutional, as compared with the clerical ‘Blacks’ and the republican ‘Reds’.
1918 Times 9 Apr. 6/4 (Finland) Germany has secured a strong hold of the gratitude of ‘White’ public opinion.
1919 Times 3 Dec. 13/3 According to the latest bulletin, the White forces are still holding Tatarskoe, a hundred miles east of Omsk.
1937 E. Snow Red Star over China i. i. 21 To get in touch with Communists in the ‘White’ areas [of China] was extremely difficult.
1952 C. P. Fitzgerald Revol. in China ix. 229 It will be argued that the Kuomintang remnants in Formosa are ‘White Chinese’, and much Right Wing American misconception of the Chinese Revolution is due to this belief. But..the Nationalists are failed revolutionaries.
1965 C. D. Eby Siege of Alcázar (1966) iii. 63 In less than forty-eight hours the Alcázar had become a solitary White island in the middle of a raging Red sea.
1965 M. Michael tr. J. Myrdal Rep. Chinese Village (1967) iii. 131 My father was taken by the white bandits and beheaded.
1967 C. Seton-Watson Italy from Liberalism to Fascism xii. 514 A left wing, led by Miglioli, the pacifist and ‘white’ trade unionist, called for a Christian proletarian party that would make capitalism its main enemy.
1996 J. Pollard in T. Buchanan & M. Conway Polit. Catholicism in Europe 1918–65 ii. 71 In the white provinces [of Italy], the parochial clergy was closer to the peasantry.
II. In figurative senses, chiefly with positive connotation.
7.
a. Morally or spiritually pure; stainless, spotless, innocent.On the positive connotations of words meaning ‘white’ in the Western (esp. Christian) cultural tradition see etymology note at black adj. and n.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > virtue > purity > [adjective]
cleanlyc888
unwemmedc950
clean971
lightOE
whiteOE
unfiledc1200
shire?c1225
sheenc1275
wemlessc1275
undefouled13..
undefoileda1325
purec1330
unbleckedc1380
unfouledc1380
clear1382
impollutec1384
unblemishedc1400
undefiledc1400
unspottedc1400
virginc1400
spotless?a1430
immaculate1441
uncorruptc1450
unpollushed1490
intemeratea1492
incorrupted1529
unmaculate1535
impolluted1548
crystallinec1550
incorrupt1550
uncorrupted1565
undistained1565
unstained1573
entire1587
taintless1590
untainted1590
stainless1599
unsmirched1604
intemerated1608
indepravate1609
chastea1616
uncurseda1628
undishonested1631
untaint1638
Adamical1649
sincere1649
undebaucheda1656
unaccurseda1674
amiantal1674
unsoiled1699
unpolluted1732
OE Homily (Paris Lat. 943) in R. Brotanek Texte u. Untersuchungen zur altenglischen Lit. u. Kirchengeschichte (1913) 19 Þæt gedafenað toforan eallum oþrum þingum þæt ælces mannes heorte beo wið ealle leahtras hwit & clæne.
c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 171 Soþlice þa gædering bið hwit iworden þurh fulluhtes bæðe.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 240 Þe eauer se ha [sc. the soul] is hwittere se fulðe is schenre.
c1400 Bk. to Mother (Bodl.) 42 (MED) Þe..crisme cloþ bitokeneþ a clene whit, chast loue þat þou schuldest haue brouȝt bifore þy domesman unfouled.
c1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Augustine (1910) 21 (MED) Whech seruauntis our Lord God had brout fro þe grete blaknesse of synne on-to þe fair white vertuous lyuyng.
1583 W. Hunnis Seuen Sobs ii. 84 Thou alone, ô Lord, maiest and canst iustifie a sinner, and of a vile, foule, and filthie wretch, make a cleane, white, and pleasant person.
1608 Bp. J. Hall Characters Vertues & Vices i. 21 Hee hath white hands, and a cleane soule.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iii. i. 446 Back-wounding calumnie The whitest vertue strikes. View more context for this quotation
a1657 G. Daniel Scattered Fancies xxxiii, in Poems (1878) II. 74 But Danger onlie gvilt attends; I bring White Thoughts.
1737 A. Pope Epist. of Horace ii. i. 13 In our own [days]..No whiter page than Addison remains.
1861 A. Trollope Orley Farm (1862) I. xxxvi. 282 It is I whose duty it is to see that your name be made white again.
1921 L. Strachey Queen Victoria (1958) vii. 215 Henceforward it was impossible to forget that Albert had worn the white flower of a blameless life.
1989 Literary Rev. Aug. 29/1 M. Pichois does not paint his poet white.
b. Free from malignity or evil intent; beneficent, innocent, harmless, esp. as opposed to something characterized as black (cf. black adj. 12, 10).Recorded earliest in white lie n. Cf. white magic n. at Compounds 1f, white propaganda n. at Compounds 1f, white witch n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > [adjective] > safe or not dangerous > safe or harmless
unshathyOE
unbalefulOE
unscathefulc1175
unscathelya1400
unscathing1437
unnoyingc1440
unshendingc1450
unnoyous1483
harmless1533
unharmful1538
unhurtful1549
dintless1558
white1567
offenceless1581
inoffensive1598
unhurting1613
illaesive1628
innocuous1631
unmalignant1633
innoxious1638
inobnoxious1659
unvenomous1659
innocent1662
unafflictinga1711
unmolesting1767
fangless1790
unharming1796
woundless1796
uninjurious1809
uninjuring1820
unmischievous1821
scarless1823
boltless1832
inoffending1853
defanged1920
non-injury1926
anodyne1933
declawed1945
1567 R. Adderley Let. 10 Apr. (Folger L.a.2) I do assure you he is vnsusspected of any vntruithe or oder notable cryme (excepte a white lye) wiche is taken for a Small fawte in thes partes.
1582 W. W. True & Iuste Recorde Witches sig. B4v This examinate being asked, whether her white spirit called Tyffin did euer at any time tel her any vntruths,..saith, that the saide spirite did euer tell her true in any matter shee required of it.
1604 R. Parsons Rev. Ten Publike Disput. 114 Zuinglius the first chiefe author, confesseth himselfe to haue byn moued thervnto by a certayne extrauagant spiritt, which he saith he knew not whether yt was blacke or white.
1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. ii. 128 He made his Harp..make musick of it self; which no White Art could perform.
1750 S. Richardson Corr. (1804) IV. 316 Don't you think..that I have reason to exclaim against white fibs?
1795 H. L. Piozzi Diary 15 July in Thraliana (1942) II. 936 A rascally Trick enough to be sure, but white I should imagine, compared to many others he had played.
1828 M. R. Mitford Our Village III. 227 Julia..asserted her female privilege of white-lying, and declared [etc.].
1855 C. Kingsley Westward Ho! iv They be mortal feared of witches,..and mortal hard on 'em, even on a pure body like me, that doth a bit in the white way.
1931 R. A. Firor Folkways in T. Hardy iv. 83 He attempted in his use of witchcraft as a theme to draw the distinction between white and black art.
1973 A. Dundas Mother Wit 19 Even lies which are ‘white’ are thought to be acceptable.
2003 N. Rush Mortals xxvii. 413 Their argument had concluded with a certain amount of white lying, so to speak, about what he was planning to do next.
c. Finance (chiefly British). Designating information held or passed on by a bank, finance house, etc., indicating that a person has a satisfactory financial status. Cf. black adj. 13c.
ΚΠ
1968 Financial Times 26 June 4 This Association through its National Credit Register has been filing so-called ‘white information’ since 1962 and now has over 14m. names on file.
1990 Times 25 Aug. 44/3 Banks..are beginning to share white information on some accounts.
2009 S. O'Connell Credit & Community iii. 112 Like other credit reference bureaux, it faced criticism for stockpiling black information rather than white data.
†8. Esp. of words: calculated to make a favourable impression; plausible; specious. Obsolete (Scottish in later use).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > semblance, outward show > [adjective]
fairOE
seeming1340
feignedc1374
colourablea1400
whitea1413
coloured?c1425
satiablec1487
provable1588
specious1611
well-seeminga1616
superficial1616
meretricious1633
glosseda1640
probable1639
spurious1646
fucatious1654
ostensible1762
well-looking1811
semblant1840
a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) iii. l. 901 I..feffe hym with a fewe wordes white.
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iii. l. 4272 Hir wordis white, softe, & blaundyshynge, Wer meynt with feynyng & with flaterie.
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Cock & Fox l. 601 in Poems (1981) 27 Flatteraris with plesand wordis quhyte.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid i. xi. 34 The schyning vissage of the god Cupyte, And his dissemelit slekit wordis quhyte.
1612 J. Davies Discouerie Causes Ireland 93 The faire and white promises of Lewes the II.
1637 S. Rutherford Let. 17 June in Joshua Redivivus (1664) 283 It is a part of our hypocrisie to give God fair white words, when he hath us in his grips [if I may speak so] & to flatter him till we win to the fair fields again.
1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 158 The Scots call Flatteries Whitings, and Flatterers white People.
1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. White-Wind, flattery, wheedling; a cant term.
9. Of a person (often as a term of endearment): highly prized, precious; dear, beloved, favourite. Now rare (only in white boy n.).See also white son n. at Compounds 1f.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > terms of endearment > [adjective]
sweeta1225
ownc1300
deara1325
littlec1405
whitec1460
bonny1540
honeya1556
nitty1598
honey-sweeta1616
old1644
dearie1691
ou1838
diddy1963
c1460 Abraham & Isaac in N. Davis Non-Cycle Plays & Fragm. (1970) 39 (MED) Take vp Isaac, þi son so whyte.
c1537 in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1846) 3rd Ser. III. 126 Master Pole..entred secretly in to a Monasterye..called Seynt Justyns, wheras he is ther wyte God and they his blacke angells.
1602 2nd Pt. Returne fr. Parnassus ii. vi I shall bee his little roague, and his white villaine for a whole weeke after.
1634 T. Heywood & R. Brome Late Lancashire Witches i. sig. C3 A merry song now mother, and thou shalt be my white girle.
1646 Extr. Kirk-Session Rec. Dunfermline (1865) 17 Jonet Wely..had slandered grissell walwood spouse to Jon alisone, wright, calling hir white bird.
1647 J. Trapp Comm. Evangelists & Acts (Matt. xiv. 3) If Iohn touch his [sc. Herod's] white sin..Iohn must to prison.
10. Chiefly of a time or season: propitious, favourable; auspicious, fortunate, happy. Now rare and archaic.a white hen's chick: see white hen n. at Compounds 1f.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > prosperity > [adjective] > characterized by prosperity
wealthfula1400
boona1513
summer1592
sunshine1594
palmy1604
white?1614
booming1879
boomy1888
?1614 W. Drummond Song: Phoebus Arise in Poems This is that happie Morne, That Day long wished Day, Of all my Life so darke, (If cruell Starres haue not my Ruine sworne, And Fates not Hope betray?) Which (only white) deserues A Diamond for euer should it marke.
a1627 J. Beaumont Bosworth-field (1629) 135 Proceede white houres, that from this stocke may rise Victorious Kings, whom Fame shall prize More dearely, then all other names within her Booke enroll'd.
1656 A. Cowley Davideis ii. 63 in Poems Thy Fate's all white.
1660 J. Dryden Astræa Redux 14 And now times whiter Series is begun.
1728 A. Ramsay Bonny Chirsty iv He wisely this white Minute took, And flang his Arms about her.
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. viii. xi. 238 What is called by Schoolboys Black Monday, was to me the whitest in the whole Year. View more context for this quotation
1830 E. Bulwer-Lytton Paul Clifford III. v. 93 I will not even press you to appoint that day, which to me will be the whitest of my life.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. xvii. 2 That was one of the few white days of a life, beneficent indeed..but far from happy.
1885 C. M. Yonge Nuttie's Father I. xvii. 204 It was one of the white days of Nuttie's life.
1991 L. Davis Venus in Copper lviii. 240 You chose the wrong day, Cossus... The Kalends of September is a white day in the calendar; it's tomorrow people mark with the sign of bad luck.
11. Of a singing voice or its sound: clear, lacking any emotional coloration (such as may be imparted by vibrato). Also in extended use. Cf. voix blanche at voix n.
ΚΠ
1782 C. Burney Gen. Hist. Music II. iv. 418 The Greeks indeed have the expression of a ­white voice, for a voice that is clear; and of a black voice, for the contrary.
1867 Athenæum 13 Apr. 492/3 A chorus for ‘white voices’.
1871 Dwight's Jrnl. Music 21 Oct. 119/2 The colorless, white voice, as we have called it, yet taking on the color of every changing mood of feeling.
1884 F. Niecks Conc. Dict. Mus. Terms 257 Voce bianca (Italian), lit. ‘white voice’. The female and children's voices, and also some bright-sounding instruments, are thus called.
1904 S. Joyce Dublin Diary (1962) 39 I called McCormack's voice ‘a white voice’—it is a male contralto.
1951 W. Morum Gabriel i. iv. 56 In the big orchestras the trumpeter employs what we call a white tone. A pure tone.
1976 Times 8 Nov. 8/6 Where another team might produce a remote, ‘white’ sound, without vibrato..the Amadeus [Quartet] permitted a more human, warm tone.
2011 Church Times 21 Oct. 16/1 A youth choir drawn from singers who have graduated from the two ‘white voice’ sections.
B. n.
1. The clear viscous fluid which surrounds the yolk of an egg and becomes white when heated or otherwise coagulated; = albumen n. 1. Also (as a count noun): a quantity of such fluid contained in a single egg. Frequently in white of an egg; also (as mass noun) white of egg(s).Also called egg white (see egg white n.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > reproductive substances or cells > [noun] > ovum or ootid > white or albumen
whiteeOE
albuginousness1599
albumen1599
ovalbumin1835
albumin1850
egg albumin1871
ovoalbumin1873
egg white1898
eOE Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) iii. lix. 342 Gedo æges hwit to.
OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) ii. 196 Sceawa nu on anum æge hu þæt hwite ne bið gemengd to ðam geolcan.
?a1200 (?OE) Peri Didaxeon (1896) 15 Nim attrumu and huniȝ and þæt hwita of æȝe [L. albumen ovorum], meng togadere.
c1300 St. Michael (Harl.) in T. Wright Pop. Treat. Sci. (1841) 137 As the white goth aboute the ȝolke.
1381 Diuersa Servicia in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 65 (MED) For to make brymes: Nym þe þarmys of a pygge & wasch hem clene..Nym wytys of eyryn & knede it wyþ flour, & mak smal pelotys.
c1425 tr. J. Arderne Treat. Fistula (Sloane 6) 30 Putte þerto als miche of whites of eiren, wele y-bette and scomed.
a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sloane) (1862) 24 Take whyȝte of eyren harde soþun.
1528 T. Paynell tr. Arnaldus de Villa Nova in Joannes de Mediolano Regimen Sanitatis Salerni sig. F.ijv The yolke is temperately hotte: The whyte is colde and clammye.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Job vi. 6 What taist hath ye whyte within the yoke an egg?
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xiv. 104 Ile fetch some flaxe and whites of egges to apply to his bleeding face. View more context for this quotation
1629 Z. Boyd Last Battell Soule (new ed.) 701 Like a squissed egge, whose yolke is mingled with its white.
1703 M. Martin Descr. W. Islands Scotl. 176 The tops of Nettles..mix'd with a few whites of raw Eggs, applied to the Fore-head..is us'd to procure Sleep.
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth VII. 283 A mucous..like the white of an egg.
1843 J. Liebig Familiar Lett. Chem. viii. 86 A coagulum is formed..when the serum of blood, or the white of an egg, diluted with water, are heated to the boiling point.
1883 J. T. Taylor Hardwich's Man. Photogr. Chem. (ed. 9) 31 The white of egg, which is a very pure form of Albumen.
1922 A. Bradley Cooking for Profit iii. 42 The whites can be used in frosting, meringues or cake.
1968 Changing Times Apr. 30/3 Occasionally when I hard-boil eggs there is a greenish tinge at the edge of the yolk and the white.
2011 New Yorker 17 Jan. 39/2 My mom mimosaed eggs—forcing hard-cooked whites and then hard-cooked yolks through a fine sieve.
2.
a. An animal, esp. of a domestic breed or variety, distinguished by white colour; such animals collectively. Also: such a breed or variety. Frequently with distinguishing word.British white, large white, middle white, Rhode Island white, West Highland white, etc.: see the first element.
ΚΠ
eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) ii. iv. 42 Þonne wæs heora þeaw þæt sceoldon ealle hiera senatus cuman ongean heora consulas æfter þæm gefeohte.., mid crætwæne.., & hie sceoldon bringan feowerfetes twa hwit [OE Tiber. hwite].
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xxx. 40 Iacob diuidide þe flock.., all þe whyte & þe blake wern of Laban.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 288/2 White, a horse of white colour, cheual blanc, liart.
1765 Treat. Domest. Pigeons 54 Blacks, black-grisles, black-splash'd, yellows, whites, duns.
?1834 Hist. Berwickshire Naturalists' Club 1 No. 2. 51 This fish I consider to be the S. albus of Fleming, the Herling..of the Scotch side of the Solway Frith,..the White or Phinnock of Pennant.
1879 L. Wright Pract. Pigeon Keeper 96 Whites are..usually bred together.
1898 Daily News 5 Dec. 8/5 Pigs.., middle whites and large whites.
1907 R. Leighton New Bk. Dog 429 The litter will consist of some whole-coloured blacks, and some whole-coloured whites.
1989 S. G. Hall & J. Clutton-Brock 200 Years Brit. Farm Livestock ii. 19 Included in this chapter are the [cattle] breeds that are native to Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, as well as the White Park, Chillingham, and British White.
2012 A. F. Fraser Feline Behav. & Welfare iii. 28/1 Another example of neuroplasticity is recognized in congenitally deaf cats (such as blue-eyed whites) that have superior eyesight.
b. Any of various butterflies, typically of the genus Pieris and related genera of the family Pieridae, which have predominantly white wings. Frequently with distinguishing word.cabbage white, large white, marbled white, small white, etc.: see the first element.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > Rhopalocera (butterflies) > [noun] > miscellaneous types
white1766
rocket1832
leaf butterfly1838
morpho1853
owl butterfly1881
map butterfly1894
1766 M. Harris Aurelian 62 They fly twice a Year, or at the same Times with the large and small Garden Whites, viz. May and August.
1795 W. Lewin Insects Great Brit. 62 Bath White. Daplidice. Linnæus. This is a rare butterfly in England..named the Bath white.
1831–2 W. Swainson Zool. Illustr. 2nd Ser. II. Pl. 69 The Butterflies called Whites, in the common language of Collectors..are distinguished by their great simplicity of colouring, and а predominence of white upon their wings.
1857 P. H. Gosse Omphalos xi. 307 We never find the egg of the Peacock Butterfly adhering to the leaf of a cabbage, nor that of the Garden White to the leaf of a nettle.
1967 S. Mackay Old Crow (1992) vi. 26 Cabbage whites fluttered in the glare above torn and frilled cabbages.
1984 R. M. Pyle Audubon Soc. Handbk. for Butterfly Watchers xix. 248 Mt. Wilhelm National Park offers..a rich array of the beautiful Delias butterflies—colorful relatives of our humble whites.
2009 Independent 2 Oct. 15/4 Britain's sunny September has brought about an autumn invasion of butterflies, with thousands of red admirals, clouded yellows and large whites migrating into southern England.
3.
a. White colour or hue; white coloration or appearance; whiteness. Also as a count noun: a particular variety of white. Sometimes concrete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [noun]
whiteOE
whitenessOE
albedony1623
albedineity1652
albedo1704
OE Vercelli Homilies (1992) xvi. 272 Þonne is hit hwæðre an leg, & ne mæg ænig man þæt hate fram ðam hwite ascadan ne ðæt hwite fram þam legeleohte.
OE Proverb (Faust. A.x) in E. V. K. Dobbie Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems (1942) 109 Ardor frigesscit, nitor squalescit... Hat acolað, hwit asolað.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 206 Hwit awilgeð þe echnen.
c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 148 Swyþe fayr þyng hys þat wyte, And þer by-syde blak..; Þe wyte hyt þe uayrer makeþ.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. l. 1317 In kertles and in Copes riche Thei weren clothed, alle liche, Departed evene of whyt and blew.
a1500 in T. Wright Polit. Poems & Songs (1861) II. 241 Wyghte is wyghte, ȝyf yt leyd to blake.
c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 166v All þaire colours..were of cleane white.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. cxxxviij So depe a Snowe, that all the ground was couered with white.
1592 G. Harvey Foure Lett. 67 That whitest white on Earth.
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. D Teaching the sheets a whiter hew then white . View more context for this quotation
1704 I. Newton Opticks i. i. 113 Before I told him what the Colours were... I askt him, Which of the two whites were the best.
1734 Poor Robin A 6 It fills the Ditch with either black or white [= rain or snow].
1777 W. Robertson Hist. Amer. I. iv. 301 Their skin is covered with a fine hairy down of a chalky white.
1821 W. M. Craig Lect. Drawing iii. 175 We must take black and white into our list, as colours with the painter though not with the optician.
1847 W. C. L. Martin Ox 61/1 A broad line of white along the back.
1868 W. B. Marriott Vestiarium Christianum Introd. p. xvii In the ancient world..white was regarded as the colour..appropriate to things divine.
1922 People's Home Jrnl. July 23 (advt.) Today..her teeth gleam with the white of polished pearls.
2010 Guardian 20 Mar. (Guide to Pets) 58/3 All sorts of bicolour and tricolour combinations involving almost every shade of white, brown and grey.
b. figurative and in figurative contexts. Whiteness as a symbol of purity, moral goodness, truth, joy, etc. Cf. black and white adj. 3. Cf. sense A. 7a.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > virtue > purity > [noun] > symbol of
white?c1225
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 206 Bi halde his blac & naut his hwit.
a1500 ( J. Lydgate tr. Life St. Alban & St. Amphibal (Lansd.) (1974) l. 67 (MED) This name Albanus, bi interpretacion, Compounnyd is of plente & whitnesse: Plente he had in hih perfeccion, And white also with lillies of clennesse.
1637 S. Rutherford Let. 10 Aug. in Joshua Redivivus (1664) 339 Some few years will bring us all out in our black's and white's before our Judge.
1649 T. Forde Lusus Fortunæ 46 Our life is chequerd with the whites of pleasure and delight, and the blacks of sorrow and pain.
1680 C. Ness Compl. Church-hist. 110 God Chequered his Providences..with the Black of Misery, and with the White of Mercy.
1790 Amer. Museum Oct. 23/1 The costly tulip owes its hue To many a gaudy stain; In this we view the virgin white Of innocence remain.
1818 J. Keats Endymion iii. 124 I lov'd her to the very white of truth.
1959 Shakespeare Q. 10 22 Offering.., in contrast with the blackness of evil, not merely indeterminate grays but the white of purity and innocence.
2005 W. C. Hamblet in G. Bassham & J. L. Walls Chrons. Narnia & Philos. xii. 149 The clear white of goodness and dark of evil.
c. Whiteness or fairness of complexion. Cf. sense A. 3.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > skin > complexion > whiteness or fairness > [noun]
whitenessOE
whitea1250
fairness1555
blondness1872
blondism1939
a1250 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Nero) (1952) 24 Nu cumeð forð a feble mon..& wule iseon ȝunge ancren. & loken..hu hire hwite like him. þet naueð nout hi-re leor uorbernd iþe sunne.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. l. 3016 (MED) Al freissh betwen the whyt and red..Stod the colour in his visage.
a1500 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 626 White of þe face, albucies.
1578 H. Wotton tr. J. Yver Courtlie Controuersie 225 The princesse blushing with roseall shame whyche beautified hir naturall white.
1593 A. Chute Beawtie Dishonoured 8 Then through transparance of the white was left her, Freshly peeres secret glorie of her bloud.
1606 J. Marston Parasitaster sig. E The redde that should haue spread her cheekes, nature let fal vpon her nose, the white of hir chinne slipt into her eies [etc.].
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis xii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 581 Varying her Cheeks by Turns, with white and red.
1714 D. Manley Adventures of Rivella 30 The white of her Skin, degenerated into a yellowish Hue, occasion'd by her Misfortunes.
1816 Ld. Byron Parisina x, in Siege of Corinth 71 The smoothest white That e'er did softest kiss invite.
1896 Windsor Mag. July 67/1 Captain Smithwick, nicknamed ‘Polly’ from the fine pink and white of his complexion.
1946 G. Hopkins tr. F. Mauriac Woman of Pharisees (1959) xvi. 193 She remained silent, lying on the veranda, a faint flush staining the dead white of her face.
1998 J. Krantz Jewels Tessa Kent (1999) xix. 211 Admiring the as-good-as-blusher-pink and white of her cheeks, the snappy blackness of her hair, and the blue, blueness of her eyes.
†4. Food prepared from milk; dairy produce (esp. in contexts of fasting, occasionally including eggs and also fish). Cf. white meat n. 1a. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dairy produce > [noun]
whiteOE
white meata1425
milkmeat1440
milkness1493
whitage1537
whitsull1602
dairy-ware1727
lactage1753
dairy produce1842
milk product1867
creamerya1877
dairy1948
milchigs1949
OE Priest's Advice in Lent (Tiber. C.i.) in P. Clemoes Anglo-Saxons (1959) 276 Forga hwit æt þunresdæg nyhst eastran, butan þe untrumnys forwyrne.
c1300 St. Bridget (Laud) l. 23 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 192 Heo fond ech lome i-heped ful, al a-boue þe brerde, Of chese and of botere and of oþur ȝwijte also.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 399 (MED) Hony, mylk, and whyte [L. lacticinia] There is deyntees, and not lyte.
1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Norbert (1977) l. 941 That he schal ete euery day to meles. Flesch and white, loke he neuyr so grym, Schal he not ete.
5.
a. Any of various white objects or substances.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > white thing > [noun]
whitenessOE
whiteOE
OE Old Eng. Martyrol. (Corpus Cambr. 41) 21 Dec. (2013) 226 Seo heall wæs getymbred ynnan and utan myd grenum and myd hæwenum and myd hwytum [L. ex lapidibus smaragdinis et hiacynthinis et prasinis et albis].
a1500 ( G. Ripley Compend of Alchemy (Ashm.) l. 1498 Thus muste yu ferment bothe rede & whyeȝtte.
1540 J. Palsgrave tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus ii. iii. sig. Liijv That..thou mayste haue a place worthy for the in our whyte... (Lyke as the pretours of Rome dyd set those mens names in a table hyghest, whose causes shulde first be pleaded,..whiche table was called Album prætoris .i. the whyte or table of the pretour).
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball iii. lxxi. 413 Hauing at their extremities..certayne whites fashioned like gripes, or clawes.
1608 E. Topsell Hist. Serpents 237 Like as the windes driue whites from top of thistle Cardus.
1687 A. Lovell tr. J. de Thévenot Trav. into Levant iii. xxxviii. 64 There is a Caste of Gentiles..who damn the yellow Colour; and who in the Morning put white on their Fore-head, contrary to the custom of the other Castes.
1710 J. Harris Lexicon Technicum II. at Scratch-work A black Ground, on which was placed a white Plaster; and this White being taken off with an Iron Bodkin, the Black appears thro the Holes.
1761 tr. J. R. d'Arnay Private Life of Romans iv. 277 Plautus makes mention of a red which the women made use of; he calls it purpurissum. They were also acquainted with the use of white, but they were ignorant of patches.
1834 Toilette Health, Beauty, & Fashion (new ed.) x. 90 A cheap white paint, which, if not wholly free from inconvenience, is not, however, accompanied with those dangers which always attend the use of whites prepared from bismuth, lead, or tin.
1896 R. Kipling Seven Seas 63 Blind they groped through the whirling white [sc. mist].
1900 Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 24 474 The centre whites of feathers on occiput appear to be narrower than in the other sex; other than this the sexes are alike.
1999 Times 16 July 22/3 In the flat hard light of the dog days, these whites can seem as generous and varied as the vivid shades with which summer began.
b. Chiefly in plural. As a specific name for various manufactured articles and products of a white colour, as pins, sugar, flour, etc.
ΚΠ
1651 J. French Art Distillation To Rdr. sig. *4v Another sort of men by whom this Art hath been much scandalized, and they indeed have brought a great Odium upon it by carrying about, and vending their whites, and reds, their sophisticated oils, & salts, their dangerous and ill prepared Turbithes, and Aurum vitæ's.
1671 Jrnl. House of Lords 12 495/2 To deliver the Bulk of the Planters, who raise only Brown Sugars, into the Hands of those few who make Whites.
?1690 Pinmakers' Case in oppos. to Killigrew's Bill (broadside, Brit. Mus.) Double long whites alias Calkins.
1730 J. Gee Trade & Navigation Great-Britain (new ed.) xxiv. 43 They commonly imported into Europe One Hundred, or One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Chests annually, and sold their Whites from Seven to Eight Pounds per Hundred.
1797 P. A. Nemnich Waaren-Lexikon at Pins Etwas grösser sind die Minikins; Dann kommen die Short Whites.
1826 Haberdasher's Guide 19 Short Whites, a smaller pin.
1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 14 The same rule of storing a quantity..is followed in regard to them as with the whites [sc. turnips].
1883 N. D. Davis Cavaliers & Roundheads Barbados 34 Not only were muscovadoes made, but the manufacture of ‘whites’ was accomplished.
1896 Daily News 8 Dec. 11/5 At a meeting of the London Flour Millers' Association,..the following prices were fixed:—Town households, 28s.; whites, 31s.
1919 Simmons' Spice Mill Jan. 62/2 White peppers approximated the course of blacks, except that the manufacture of whites in the Orient, having decreased, whites have not gotten back to their starting points of a year ago.
1976 Times 19 Mar. 13/6 Wholesale prices of potatoes have risen..prices of a 56-pound sack of whites have risen by 20p in London.
2013 San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News (Nexis) 13 Mar. New potatoes—reds, whites, Yukon Golds and fingerlings—have more sugar in them.
c. A white ostrich feather.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > types of ornamentation > [noun] > plumes or feathers
ostrich feathera1400
peacock feather?a1425
plume1530
plumet1585
ostrich plume1613
plumery1795
white1867
ostrich tip1880
1867 Liverpool Mercury 28 Mar. Ostrich feathers... We may quote for prime whites, at £80..per pound.
1890 A. Martin Home Life Ostrich Farm vi. 103 A large and magnificent bunch of wing-feathers, the finest and longest of ‘prime whites’.
1936 S. & E. Afr. Year-bk. 340 An exceptionally good bird should yield from 20 to 26 ozs. of feathers and should give from 60 to 62 long whites and byocks.
1973 D. J. Maree in Standard Encycl. S. Afr. VIII. 398 The highest price for selected primes (whites) recorded on the London market before 1914 was £112 per lb.
1999 J. Sales in D. C. Deeling Ostrich 237 The primaries are attached to the finger bones of the wings and the secondaries are attached to the ulna. These (about 24) feathers on the first row of each wing are called whites in the male and feminas in the female.
d. A white diamond.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > diamond > [noun] > other types of diamond
violastrec1400
lasque1678
black diamond1689
carbonadoa1853
carbonate1860
carbon1869
river stone1873
fish-eye1882
white1895
1878 Scribner's Monthly Sept. 663/2 Cape diamonds..are referred to as white, Cape white, bye water, off color and yellow.]
1895 Westm. Gaz. 1 Oct. 2/1 I..woke up to consider two fresh lots of treasure, ‘whites’ and ‘by-waters’, so termed from their colour.
1972 V. Canning Rainbird Pattern xi. 227 The diamonds were genuine,..blue whites, fine whites and whites.
2007 J. H. Crumpler Tales Jewels & Precious Metals i. 22 There were whites that gleamed like dew on the flowers in the old park and blue whites that looked like pieces of glacier.
e. slang.
(a) As mass noun: an illicit drug (esp. morphine or another opioid) in the form of a white powder. Cf. white stuff n. 3.
ΚΠ
1908 K. McGaffey Sorrows of Show Girl xi. 129 It is my personal opinion that she sniffs the white. She either does that or jabs.
1914 L. E. Jackson & C. R. Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Slang 87 White, noun, current amongst morphine habitues. Morphine. Example: ‘How many times a day are you shooting the white?’
1977 N. Adam Triplehip Cracksman iii. 32 By 1965 they were growing poppies for half the world's white.
1997 D. Simon & E. Burns Corner 156 Others talk about how he'd been firing some of that China White, the synthetic morphine substitute that killed about a dozen people in a single week last summer.
(b) An amphetamine tablet.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > an intoxicating drug > [noun] > stimulant drug(s) > pill or tablet of
pill1951
amphetamine1955
dexie1956
dex1961
minstrel1966
popper1967
white1967
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > restoratives, tonics, or stimulants > [noun] > stimulant > pills
pep pill1917
amphetamine1955
purple heart1961
black bomber1963
black beauty1966
white1967
wake-up1969
wakey-wakey pill1977
wake-up pill1979
1966 Bull. Narcotics 18 6/2 The name ‘Purple Heart’ has been succeeded by a number of other names: ‘Blues’, ‘French Blues’, ‘Minstrels’, ‘Nigger Minstrels’, ‘Black and Whites’, ‘Black and Greens’, ‘Black and Tans’, ‘Black Bombers’ and so forth, each one being derived from the appearance of the tablet.]
1967 Trans-action Apr. 7/1 Pills are ‘reds’ and ‘whites’—barbiturates and benzedrine or dexedrine.
1969 Observer 21 Dec. 1/1 The street pusher with his ‘wanna score some whites (Benzedrine)? Dollar a roll.’
1989 Spin July 84/2 The nation that was diddy-bopping along on speed at the time knew them by their street names: Black Beauties, Big Cross-ops and Little Whites.
2010 Encycl. Poisons & Antidotes (ed. 3) 11/2 Amphetamines, crystal, dexies, doublecross, hearts, meth, minibennies, pep pills, roses, speed, thrusters, truck drivers, uppers, wake-ups, whites.
f. Short for white bread n. 1; a white loaf.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > bread > [noun] > white bread
white bread?c1335
white1913
1913 M. Ryan Compilation Househ. Sci. 84 Butter a slice of white and cover it with a filling made of egg paste.
1974 ‘A. Gilbert’ Nice Little Killing iv. 55 Last of all came the baker... Leave a small white to be on the safe side.
1977 D. E. Westlake Nobody's Perfect 45 A luncheon-loaf sandwich on white with mayo in his left hand.
2000 Stuff Dec. 28 It's big enough to toast the hell out of rolls and pannini [sic] as well as the more conventional British cheese-and-bean on white.
6.
a. White clothing or attire. Frequently in in white.In quot. OE rendering post-classical Latin alba alb n., but perhaps to be interpreted as adverb (compare discussion at whitely adv.).With use with reference to matrimony (as in quots. 1768, 1986) cf. white wedding n. at Compounds 1f.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > of specific colour
purpureeOE
blackc1225
greyc1225
white?c1225
greena1250
yellow1368
violet1380
purplec1390
blue1480
colours1641
tawnies1809
butternut1810
subfusc1853
solid1883
Lovat1908
jungle green1946
OE Prognostics (Tiber.) (2007) 306 Alba aut splendida se uestire, iocunditatem significat : hwite oððe beorhte hine gescrydan wynsumnysse getacnað.]
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 9 Þus seint iames descriueð religiun. Nouðer hwit neblac ne nem[m]et he in his ordre.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 12302 Heo hafden on iqueðen alle..þat heo wolden of ane heowen heore claðes habben. Sum hafde whit sum hafden ræd sum hafde god grene æc.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1872) IV. 321 Whan Pilatus sente Iesus i-cloþed in white [L. veste alba indutum] to Herodes.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 18772 Bi-side þam stode tua men in quite.
a1450 Castle Perseverance (1969) 1 Þe iiij dowterys schul be clad in mentelys, Mercy in wyth, rythwysnesse in red [etc.].
c1503 R. Arnold Chron. sig. G.vi A hole cloth of blewe a cloth of tawny. a longe Clothe of white two. short clothes of white.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VIII f. ccxxviii On the Assencion day folowyng, the kyng ware whyte for mournyng.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. i. sig. Bv Her all in white he clad, and ouer it Cast a black stole.
1602 L. Lloyd Briefe Conf. Divers Lawes 82 Vnto these kinde of feasts the Romanes might not come in black or sad coloured garments, but all in white.
1680 C. Ness Compl. Church-hist. 272 Having decked her self with the White of Simplicity.
1717 E. Fenton Poems 37 Peace, Dove-ey'd, and rob'd in white.
1768 O. Goldsmith Good Natur'd Man iv. 48 It's the worst luck in the world [to be married] in anything but white.
1815 Ann. Reg., Chron. 49/2 The pall was supported by six young females attired in white.
1859 Ld. Tennyson Elaine 1152 in Idylls of King She herself in white.
1961 P. Kemp Alms for Oblivion vii. 116 Priests wear white, and a high priest or pedanda goes bareheaded and carries a staff surmounted by a crystal ball.
1986 Sunday Times 2 Mar. 25 This image was given a certain piquancy at her wedding,..when she both wore white and gave the finger to the paparazzi circling in helicopters above.
2011 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 26 May 16/2 The Damas—who protest by walking through the streets of Havana dressed in white and holding gladiolas.
b. In plural. White articles of clothing, chiefly in spec. uses, esp. (a) surplices worn by clergymen, choristers, etc. (now chiefly historical); (b) white trousers or breeches; white clothing worn in hot climates; (c) white clothes worn for sport (esp. cricket, and tennis played on grass courts); (d) white clothes worn as a uniform by sailors, cooks, medical staff, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > artefacts > vestments > outer garments > [noun] > surplice
surplicec1290
surpcloth1525
whites1582
linostole1694
stole1805
cotta1848
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for legs > clothing for legs and lower body > [noun] > trousers > types of > other
whites1582
trouse1612
pantaloon1661
trousers1676
sherryvallies1778
Wellington trousers1809
panties1845
prolongations1849
pettiloons1851
overtrousers1852
churidar1880
continuation1883
high water1898
sponge bag trousers1900
sponge bag1911
pettibockers1917
hip-hugger1939
pink1942
suntan1943
samfu trousers1955
hipsters1958
low riders1966
Mao trousers1967
bumsters1993
1582 Bible (Rheims) 705 Thou hast a few names in Sardis..which haue not defiled their garments: and they shal walke with me in whites, because they are worthy.
1622 S. Ward Life of Faith in Death 123 If we throughly beleeued..this to bee the state of our..dead friends,..could we..mourne for them in Blacks, whiles they are in whites?
1633 King Charles I in Bibliotheca Regia (1659) 122 That the Dean of our Chapel..come..thither to Prayers upon Sundaies..in his Whites.
1737 Z. Grey Impartial Exam. 2nd Vol. Daniel Neal's Hist. Puritans (new ed.) ii. 210 His enjoining the Bishops to appear in the Chappel in their Whites.
1780 A. Young Tour Ireland (Dublin ed.) I. 283 The girls..in their striped linens and whites.
1818 Lady Morgan in Passages from Autobiogr. (1859) 184 His tight whites and tight silk stockings showed his colossal legs..to great advantage.
1828 A. Jolly Observ. Sunday Services 168 [The newly baptised] appeared at church..in their whites.
1840 W. M. Thackeray Barber Cox in Comic Almanack 37 I felt myself suddenly jerked by the waistband of my whites.
1840 J. T. J. Hewlett Peter Priggins xiv, in New Monthly Mag. Having his immaculate whites spotted and splashed by the spirts of Stephen, who..pulled stroke.
1882 ‘E. Lyall’ Donovan vi. 150 They say the [choir-]boys in their whites is very attractive, and nobody can't deny that the church is fuller than it used to be.
1922 E. Raymond Tell Eng. ii. iv. 207 All honest boys, we know, fancy themselves in their whites.
1939 X. Herbert Capricornia (new ed.) iii. 29 Oscar was brilliant in whites and topee.
1975 D. Clement & I. La Frenais Porridge: Scripts (2002) 2nd Ser. Episode 5. 208/1 (stage direct.) Lennie is admitted, wearing kitchen whites and pushing a food trolley.
1989 R. Kenan Visitation of Spirits (1996) 126 The orderlies rushing about in their whites.
1994 Denver Post 16 Jan. t1/1 ‘Welcome aboard,’ chimed a phalanx of stewards in crisp nautical whites.
2009 New Yorker 31 Aug. 45/2 They wore old-fashioned tennis whites and leaped about on the bright-purple hard court, flicking reflex volleys and high, arcing lobs.
†c. A white badge. Obsolete.With quot. 1647, cf. sense A. 6, and cockade n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > insignia > [noun] > colours
coloursc1400
white1647
1647 Let 28 Nov. in Earl of Clarendon State Papers (1773) II. App. p. xlii Perceiving Lilburne's regiment..to appear..with Whites in their hats.
1651 Lanc. Tracts Civil War (Chetham Soc.) 307 The enemies word was ‘Iesu’, and their signal a White about their Arme.
d. In plural. White articles of washing.
ΚΠ
1939 Irish Times 14 June 1/6 (advt.) They've found how to wash whites whiter, colours brighter, and everything cleaner!
1962 Which? Aug. 231/2 The programme you choose for the washing you want to do (‘whites’, for example, or ‘delicate fabrics’ are possible settings on both machines) automatically determines washing and spin drying times.
1979 A. Price Tomorrow's Ghost xiii. 229 It used to be right dirty rain... Woman couldn't put her whites out..when it was raining.
2009 K. Overman-Edmiston Avenue Eternal Tranquility xxi. 262 He separated his clothes out into coloureds and whites for washing.
7.
a. White pigment; any of various types of such pigment. Frequently with distinguishing word.baryta white, Chinese white, earth white, Paris white, titanium white, etc.: see the first element. See also pearl white n. 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitener > [noun] > white pigment or paint
white leadlOE
whitea1300
blank plumbc1325
cerusec1405
white earth1448
Spanish white1546
litharge1551
mineral white1651
flake-white1660
Vienna white1816
permanent white1822
zinc white1847
constant white1854
Krems1854
Cremnitz1874
silver-white1875
lithoponea1884
baryta white1885
Charlton white1885
titanium white1920
a1300 Trilingual Gloss. (Sloane) in Eng. Stud. (1989) 70 296 (MED) Cerussa, angl. huit of lede.
a1475 in J. O. Halliwell Early Eng. Misc. (1855) 76 (MED) To make ane incarnacione: take whyte and a lytelle rede, and temper heme togedyre, and worche hit so.
a1650 E. Norgate Miniatura (Tanner 326) (1919) 93 Whyte lead ground with Nutt oyle maketh a perfect Whyte.
1672 P. L. Eng. Acad. 31 For the darkest blew use all Indigo. Use White only of it self for the light.
1731 Art of Drawing & Painting in Water-colours 20 These Colours..to shade the Whites.
1847 A. C. Smeaton Builder's Pocket Man. (new ed.) 139 The first white that was discovered..was extracted from the calx of lead.
1859 T. J. Gullick & J. Timbs Painting 293 The terrene whites, from their alkaline nature, are injurious to many colours in water.
1998 Review (Rio Tinto plc) June 3/2 Pigments such as lead white, zinc oxide or zinc sulphide..are now recognized as less safe.
2008 R. Osborne Color Influencing Form (new ed.) i. 4 Throughout the ages, the painter's standard ‘primary colors’ were Red Ocher and Yellow Ocher combined with black and white.
†b. Heraldry. A white tincture (tincture n. 2b), considered to be one of the heraldic furs. Obsolete.In coats of arms, white more commonly represents the metal silver, and is termed argent.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > heraldic tincture > [noun] > fur
fur1610
white1688
miniver?1828
1572 J. Bossewell Wks. Armorie ii. f. 79 In armes it is called Ermine, proprely, and not siluer or white, poudered with Sable, to the whiche terme there must bee had great respecte.
1677 J. Logan Analogia Honorum 128 A Cassock of crimson Velvet, and over it a Mantle of the same, lined with white, which openeth on the right side.]
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory i. vii. 66 This is a Furr of one Colour, which is not used in Coats, but in Mantles onely; And is all white, which in Doublings, is taken for the Litvits Skin, or White Martyne. And is not to be termed Argent, but White: As being a Skin of a Beast.
1777 ‘M. A. Porny’ Elements Heraldry (ed. 3) 25 White, the natural colour of a little beast called Ermine,..is only to be termed so, when it is used for the doubling of Mantles.
1847 H. Gough Gloss. Terms Brit. Heraldry 326 White, this word may be used instead of argent for the lining of mantles, which are not generally taken for cloth of silver, but a pure white fur, which some call the litvit's skin. White is commonly used in painting for argent or silver.
1867 C. Boutell Eng. Heraldry xvii. 262 A narrow edging of white is next added to each red side of this new figure, to represent the white field of St. Patrick.
8. In full white of the eye.
†a. A whitish opacity in the cornea of the eye; disease of the eye characterized by this, or by the presence of a whitish growth or exudate. Cf. albugo n. 1. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of eye > [noun] > disorders of cornea
whitea1325
maculaa1400
pannusa1400
pannicle1543
onyx1706
carcinoma1722
nubecula1728
paralampsis1749
obfuscation1794
corneitis1854
photophthalmia1907
a1325 in T. Hunt Pop. Med. 13th-cent. Eng. (1990) 245 (MED) Contra albuginem occulorum, i. wyte et lippitudinem occulorum.
a1425 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 634/5 Hec albugo, wyte of the hee.
?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 13 (MED) Yf þou ete him, he helpiþ all evill bleynes and þe white of the eye that is callid ‘egill pace’ jn grewe.
1540 R. Jonas tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde ii. f. lxviiv Agaynst the scum or whyte of the eye which for the most parte happeneth to chyldren thorowe ouer much cryeng & wepynge: take the iuyce of solatrum, and droppe of the same in to the chyldes eye.
1687 London Gaz. No. 2280 A bay Nag..a white in one of his Eyes.
b. The white part of the eye, surrounding the iris and pupil; the sclera of the eyeball, which consists of white fibrous connective tissue. In early use also: †the cornea or the conjunctiva (obsolete).Cf. to turn up (also throw up, show) the whites of one's eyes at Phrases 4a, to say black is the white of a person's eye at Phrases 4b, until you see the whites of their eyes at Phrases 4c.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > sense organ > sight organ > parts of sight organ > [noun] > other parts
whitec1390
crystalline humoura1398
crystalloida1398
crystalline?a1425
eyeball1575
eyeglassa1616
crystalline lens1654
crystal1657
lens1719
membranula1821
zonule1828
angle1830
disc1861
c1390 Talkyng of Love of God (Vernon) (1950) 52 (MED) Þou diȝest for me, hongynge on Rode tre, &..þe white of þin eȝen is tornd vpward.
a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 19 A watir þat comeþ bitwene þe white of þe iȝen & þe appil.
?a1425 MS Hunterian 95 f. 113, in Middle Eng. Dict. at Whit Þer is summe redenesse in þe white of þe yȝe.
?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxv If his [sc. the sheep's] eye..haue reed stryndes in the whyte of the eye, than he is sounde.
?1587 A. H. tr. J. Guillemeau Worthy Treat. Eyes (new ed.) ii. v. 16 The coniunctiua or white of the eie is sometimes so swolne, that it goeth foorth of the eielidds.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. xi. xxxvii. 334 The ball or apple in the middest [of the eye] is ordinarily of another colour than the white about it.
1651 tr. J. A. Comenius Nat. Philos. Reformed x. 188 And last of all, that membrane which the common sort call the white of the eye; but Philosophers..call cornea, and this is transparent over against the apple and the net-work.
1706 J. Harvey Præsagium Medicum xiii. 175 Neither is it less dangerous, when the white of the eye becomes ruddy-coloured.
1829 W. Leggett Tales & Sketches 214 At last the balls rolled entirely up, till nothing but the thick, blood-shot whites were visible.
1878 T. Hardy Return of Native II. iii. iii. 112 ‘That's the only kind of water we have,’ she continued, tossing a stone into the pool, which lay on the outside of the bank like the white of an eye without its pupil.
1911 P. Radin tr. L. Ginzberg Legends of Jews III. 217 You have the white of the eye and the black of the eye, and it is by means of this dark part of the eye that you are enabled to see.
1953 A. Hosain Phoenix Fled (1988) 103 The door opened, and her daughter-in-law stood clinging to it, the whites of her eyes startling against her dark skin.
2006 J. Dunn Hecate's Child xvii. 181 His eyes bulged horribly, showing red-veined whites all round the pale blue-grey irises.
9. White cloth (frequently applied, with or without distinguishing word, to various particular kinds). Frequently in plural. Now somewhat rare (chiefly historical).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric of specific colour > [noun] > white or pale
whitec1325
milk-and-water1511
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 11923 Cope & oþer cloþes hii lete make of wit.
1466 Expenses J. Paston's Funeral in Paston Lett. (1904) IV. 226 For xxiiii. yerdes of brod wythtys for gowns.
1503 in N. H. Nicolas Privy Purse Expenses Elizabeth of York (1830) 104 For v yerdes of Streyt white.
1594 J. Norden Speculum Brit.: Essex (Camden) 9 Cogshull, wher are made the best whites in Englande.
1621 Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 45/1 Exceptis mantelliis lie plaidis et lie Galloway quhyte.
1650 Act for Redempt. of Captives 134 Narrow Yorkshire Kersies whites and reds, cont. not above 17. or 18. yards, and in weight 22. pound.
1742 Defoe's Tour Great Brit. (ed. 3) III. 134 Cloth in Imitation of Gloucester Whites.
1754 R. Pococke Trav. (Camden) II. 135 They..make..cloths called Salisbury whites for the Turkey trade.
1805 W. C. Oulton Traveller's Guide II. 536/1 The manufactures of flannels, and the cloths called Salisbury whites, for the Turkey trade.
1842 J. R. Planché Strutt's Compl. View Dress & Habits People of Eng. II. v. 81 Narrow-listed whites and reds, made in the same counties, called sorting-pack cloths, shall contain the same length and breadth as the broad-listed cloths.
1908 Amer. Carpet & Upholstery Jrnl. 10 June 81/2 In Chikugo the drop in prices has greatly decreased making of whites.
1985 E. Kerridge Textile Manufactures Early Mod. Eng. vii. 109 Salisbury whites were famous for their fineness, lightness and brightness.
10.
a. †Silver or silver-coloured coinage (obsolete); (more generally, and sometimes with the) money (colloquial). Also as a count noun: a silver coin (colloquial).Sometimes contrasted with red or yellow in the sense ‘gold coins’. Cf. red adj. 3b.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > [noun] > (a) silver coin
silverc825
platea1275
whitea1393
white money1423
argentc1500
pringle1683
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. l. 2571 To the rede and to the whyte This Ston hath pouer to profite.
a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) iii. l. 1384 They shul for-go þe white and eke þe rede.
c1676 in Roxburghe Ballads (1889) VI. 15 A sawcy fellow! Come to me without his white and yellow.
1755 T. Smollett tr. M. de Cervantes Don Quixote I. iv. ii. 213 I can sell them for ready money... Before God! I'll make them fly, little and big, or just as I may; and, blacks as they are, turn them all into whites and yellows.
c1816 Crime-fighter's Notebk. (BL Add. 47466) in J. Coleman Hist. Cant & Slang Dicts. (2004) II. 207 Making Whites—Coining Shillings.
1823 ‘J. Bee’ Slang 194 Whites, in the language of smashers, ‘small whites’ are shillings, ‘large whites’ half-crowns.
1853 J. Sherer Gold-finder of Austral. 22 I never saw anything in the shape o' money but whites and browns (silver and copper).
1885 Bull. (Sydney) 4 July 12/2 He was mulct in the sum of 10 ‘white’.
1903 A. M. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise viii. 204 Again and again the needy one implored his obdurate chum to shake out at least a deuce of whites.
1960 Observer 24 Jan. 5/1 The white, crinkle, cabbage, poppy, lolly, in other words cash.
†b. A small French coin; = blank n. 1. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > foreign coins > [noun] > French coins > other French coins
denierc1425
Poitevina1475
blank1480
sousec1503
gigot1530
soulx1543
liarda1549
pistolor1550
obole1567
patard1583
double1586
whitea1634
sols1637
penny1656
centime1796
cent1810
sou1814
a1634 E. Coke 3rd Pt. Inst. Laws Eng. (1644) xxx. 92 And they were called Blanks or Whites in respect of the colour, because at the same time he coyned also a Salus in gold.
1716 M. Davies Crit. Hist. 79 in Athenæ Britannicæ III 'Twas made Felony..to pay or receive a certain base Coyn, call'd Blank or Whites.
1745 M. Martin-Leake Hist. Acct. Eng. Money (ed. 2) 145 The Blanks, or Whites, were so called from their Colour, being Silver, because at the same Time were coined Gold.
1882 R. L. Stevenson New Arabian Nights II. 118 Two of the small coins that went by the name of whites.
11. = white wine n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > wine > types of wine > [noun] > white wine
white wineOE
whitec1405
vin blanc1789
vinho branco1835
vino blanco1981
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4678 Depe selers..He fild wit wines, quite and red.]
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 198 Man so drynketh of the white & rede.
a1456 J. Lydgate Seying of Nightingale (Trin. Cambr.) l. 153 in Minor Poems (1911) 226 (MED) Lyke hem þat pressin quayers of entent In þe pressour, boþe þe rede and whyte, So was he pressyd by Raunsoun for to quyte.
a1475 Sidrak & Bokkus (Lansd.) (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Washington) (1965) l. 11315 (MED) Þerfore ben the rede hatter wel Þan þe white by a greet del.
1610 T. Cocks Diary (1901) 95 A quarte of white, to make my skurvye-grasse drincke.
c1640 Capt. Underwit iv. i, in A. H. Bullen Coll. Old Eng. Plays (1883) II. 375 The Stillyards Reanish wine and Divells white.
1712 W. King Let. in Art of Cookery (ed. 2) 8 Two bottles of smooth Palm, or Anjou white, shall give a Welcome.
1720 E. Ward Delights of Bottle 37 Where ev'ry one that's low in Spirits, May be reliev'd by Whites or Clarets.
1842 Ld. Tennyson Will Waterproof's Monologue in Poems (new ed.) II. 186 No pint of white or red Had ever half the power.
1930 E. K. Rand In Quest of Virgil's Birthplace iv. 30 Pietro returns with a glass of red and a glass of white for us to try.
1961 Guardian 24 Oct. 8/6 Some Russian dry whites and reds, selling at as little as 7s. 6d. a bottle.
2012 Time Out N.Y. 12 Jan. 10/1 Affordable staples like Jim Beam and Tanqueray are available, along with a globe-spanning balance of wallet-friendly reds, whites and rosés.
12. The white or light-coloured part of any substance or structure, as flesh, wood, etc.
ΚΠ
a1425 (a1399) Forme of Cury (BL Add.) 6 in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 99 (MED) Take caboches and quarter hem and seeth hem in gode broth with oynouns ymynced and the whyte of lekes yslyt and ycorue smale.
a1450 in T. Austin Two 15th-cent. Cookery-bks. (1888) 14 (MED) Take þe Whyte of the lekys.
?a1500 Nominale (Yale Beinecke 594) in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 793/11 Hoc mulsum, the wyte of botyr.
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum at Oister The white vnder the fysh cleauynge to the shell.
1582 P. Levens Right Profitable Bk. All Disseases 136 Take the whyte of Henns dong, of ground iuie, of houseleeke, sheepes sewet, and boyle them all together.
1605 J. Mosan tr. C. Wirsung Gen. Pract. Physick v. v. 593 Take old candle tallow, Goates suet, and Linseed oyle, of each a like quantitie: let them melt together, and put therto the white of Hens dung.
1665 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 1 118 The white of a Custard.
1737 Whole Duty of Woman xviii. 343 Take the white of a Fowl, or of a couple of Chickens, and pound it in a Mortar.
a1756 E. Haywood New Present (1771) 159 Mince..the white of a chicken.
1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art I. 95 The wood next the bark of a tree, called the white, or alburnum.
1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words II. 397 White, a name given by butchers to that piece of beef which joins the round: i.e. the flank.
1894 All Year Round 12 Mar. 63/1 Stir into it a quarter of a pound of the white of a fresh cocoanut, finely grated.
1918 D. M. Wright Irish Heart 102 She hit me a clout With the white of her fist.
1983 C. Song Picture Bride 41 Eat the whites of things: tender bamboo shoots, the veins of the young iris, the clouded eye of a fish.
1998 N. Lawson How to Eat (1999) 10 Add..5 peppercorns, a bouquet garni, some parsley stalks and the white of a leek.
13. Sport and Games.
a. Chess and Draughts.
(a) A white or light-coloured square on a chessboard; these squares regarded collectively.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > chess > [noun] > chessboard > square > specific squares
four pointsc1450
black1474
white1474
hole1894
queening square1918
1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) iv. ii. 163 Whan he [sc. the king] is black, he standeth in the white.
a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) 71 Þe quene, that goth fro blak to blak, or fro white to white.
1562 tr. Damiano da Odemira Pleasaunt Playe of Cheasts sig. Avv Because of his [sc. the knight's] marching forth, whiche is made from three into three places, to witte, from whyte into blacke, and from black into whyte.
1614 A. Saul Famous Game Chesse-play To Rdr. sig. A5 The Bishop blacke in blacke must march..For in the white he may not come.
1750 ‘A. D. Philidor’ Chess Analysed (1773) 7 (note) When your Bishop runs upon White, you must strive to put your Pawn always upon Black.
1775 C. Jones Hoyle's Games Improved 155 The Knights move obliquely..from black to white, and from white to black.
1804 T. Pruen Introd. Hist. & Study of Chess viii. 133 When your bishop runs upon white, endeavour to put your pawns upon black, because your bishop then serves to prevent your adversary's king or rook getting between them.
1850 H. G. Bohn et al. Hand-bk. Games 415 The rule (almost universal with English Draughts) is to play on the white squares... When..players are pledged to a match without any previous agreement as to which squares are to be played on, white must be taken as the law.
1882 Brit. Chess Mag. Jan. 8 In this Knight, of irregular movement, leaping from black to white, from white to black, you will recognise, my child, the symbol of ‘opportunism’.
1917 D. A. Mitchell Chess i. 22 Note also that the Knight always moves to a square of an opposite color, from white to black or from black to white.
1961 Chess Life Aug. 245/1 The rook on white and the bishop on black, checking together, one from afar, the other only a diamond from the Black king.
2012 D. Wells Games & Math. i. i. 14 With every knight move you go either from black to white or from white to black.
(b) The player using the white or light-coloured pieces.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > chess > [noun] > player > using white or black pieces
white1735
black1750
1735 J. Bertin Chess 68 And the white loses the game, the black king being Patt.
1750 ‘A. D. Philidor’ Chess Analysed (1773) 59 I have no need to go further in this Game, since it is evident that the White must win.
1808 Hoyle's Game of Chess 32 White has the best of the game.
1867 H. G. Bohn et al. Hand-bk. Games (new ed.) 460 (Draughts) White to move and win.
?1870 F. Hardy & J. R. Ware Mod. Hoyle , Draughts 107 White may..capture the whole of the three black men in one move.
1902 E. E. Cunnington How to play Chess (rev. ed.) 52 White would have done the same, compelling the B to retreat, and leaving himself with two well-placed centre Ps.
1965 Listener 27 May 807/3 White has a simple way to remain a piece ahead and keep his attack.
2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 15 June (Front section) 25/3 Finally, they had an ‘Armageddon’ playoff—a blitz game in which White had more time but Black only needed to draw to be declared the winner.
b. Archery.
(a) A mark or target, typically white in colour and placed on the butt. Now archaic and rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > competitive shooting > [noun] > mark or target
markc1275
aimc1400
whitea1475
prop1496
level1525
scope1562
shot-mark1610
target1756
a1475 ( S. Scrope tr. Dicts & Sayings Philosophers (Bodl. 943) (1999) 142 (MED) Thou shuldist þan teche hym the place where he shulde smyte, liche as þe white is in a butt for to teche the archieres.
1577 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Chron. 467 They behaued themselues no more nor no lesse with the Germaines, then an archer with a white at a Butt.
1583 R. Greene Mamillia i. f. 16v When the string is broken, it is hard to hit the white.
1619 E. M. Bolton tr. Florus Rom. Hist. iii. viii. 294 A boy gets no morsell at his mothers hands, but that of which shee makes a white, and which himselfe must hit.
1654 T. Gataker Disc. Apol. 39 An Archer,..when he hath hit the white or cloven the peg.
1714 E. Ward Field-spy 13 I turn'd my Head to see the doughty Knight Stand ready drawn to hit the distant White.
1767 C. Smart tr. Horace Art of Poetry in tr. Horace Wks. (new ed.) IV. 281 The archer's bow, tho' aim'd aright, Will not for ever hit the white.
1831 W. Scott Castle Dangerous ii, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. IV. 50 A good archer..who..seldom missed a handsbreadth of the white.
1843 E. Bulwer-Lytton Last of Barons I. i. i. 16 No marksman had hit the white.
1883 Archer's Reg. 37 For the archer who last hit the white was reserved the distinction of a Horn Spoon, supposed to be contemporary in age with the Silver Arrow itself.
1903 F. Montgomery Unshared Secret 238 If the arrow shot at a venture hits the white, you see it in their faces in a moment.
(b) figurative and in figurative contexts. Now rare.
ΚΠ
c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Gouernaunce of Princis (1993) xxxv. 114 He yat tuichis nerest the quhite, and best gais nere the merche.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) sig. D.ii The life of the prince is but a whyte, for al other to shote at.
1580 J. Lyly Euphues & his Eng. (new ed.) f. 95v If the eye of man be the arrow, & beautie the white.
1597 N. Breton Auspicante Jehoua f. 24 Bee thou..the note of my Comfort the white of my loue, and the light of my lyfe.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) v. ii. 191 'Twas I wonne the wager, though you hit the white . View more context for this quotation
1656 A. Cowley Second Olympian Ode in Pindaric Odes x Let Agrigentum be the But, And Theron be the White.
1698 J. Norris Pract. Disc. Divine Subj. IV. 276 So the Subject of the following Discourse may be the more distinct, and we may have a Clearer White for our Mark.
1770 F. Moore Vox Stellarum 15 He doth most surely hit the White, Who mixeth Profit with Delight.
1862 B. Taylor At Home & Abroad 2nd Ser. 411 His [sc. Browning's] faculty of hitting the target of expression full in the white, by a single arrowy word.
1864 J. R. Lowell Fireside Trav. 294 Byron hit the white, which he often shot very wide of.., when he called Rome ‘my country’.
1914 A. MacMechan Life of Little College 201 There is one hard way of hitting the white, and there are ten thousand easy ways of roving from it.
(c) On a target marked with concentric rings of different colours: a circular band of white, or each of two such bands ( inner white and outer white); (hence) a shot that hits this band.The inner white may refer either to the middle band, now more usually coloured blue, or in later use to an inner subdivision of the outer white band.
ΚΠ
1687 Articles agreed on by Soc. Archers (MS BL Add. 28801) The third circumference, being usualy knowne..by the name of the Inner white... The fifth Circle being white and usually called..the outer-white.
1844 Era 10 Mar. 6/4 He scored 197 with 36 arrows, at 60 yards, making 9 golds, 10 inside reds, 6 inner whites, 3 blacks, and 2 outer whites.
1865 Archer's Reg. 25 Ladies' Prizes... Miss Betham (less 113 for blacks and whites), 558.
1885 Field 5 Sept. 366/2 Prizes... Wooden spoon, for greatest number of whites, both meetings, not having won a prize, Miss L. Martin.
1908 Archer's Reg. 105 Miss V. Codrington, made 53, given 30 = 88 most whites, given by Mrs Bridge, Mrs Vere Freeman, 15 whites.
1917 J. N. Goltra Health & Strength i. 12 When you hit the inner white it counts five. The black counts three; and the outer white counts one.
1997 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 21 Nov. (Sport section) 44 Each ring is divided in half, with the inner gold zone worth 10 points, the outer gold ring worth nine points, and each half ring falling by half a point until the outer white, which is worth one point.
c. With the. Either of the white balls in billiards; (also) the white ball in pool or snooker.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > billiards, pool, or snooker > [noun] > ball > ball of specific colour
carambole1775
red1779
white1779
black1866
green1889
1779 J. Dew Treat. Billiards 17 The White or the Striker's Ball is to be played from a Spot made for that Purpose in the Centre.
1857 ‘Capt. Crawley’ Billiards (ed. 2) iii. 29 I attempted a difficult canon off the white.
1873 J. Bennett & ‘Cavendish’ Billiards 213 The white will travel slowly on to the spot-white.
1906 N.Y. Times 19 Apr. 14/4 His best shot was a three-cushion follow shot, in which his cue ball and the white made the circuit of the table, travelling together so that both rubbed all the way around.
1981 P. Quinn Tackle Pool ii. 25 If the white is at point A it must be played into the black almost full ball.
2012 Guardian (Nexis) 17 May (Features section) 11 Positioning the white is about putting it in a general area on the table that allows the player to have options on multiple reds/colours.
14. Usually in plural = leucorrhœa n. Frequently with the or possessive adjective.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > [noun] > leucorrhoea
white flux1526
album1527
white1527
white flood1527
white menstruosity1599
fluor albus1659
eluvies1710
leucorrhœa1797
xanthorrhœa1891
1527 L. Andrewe tr. H. Brunschwig Vertuose Boke Distyllacyon sig. Gv Good agaynst that Album or whyte in women [Ger. weiss der frawen].
1572 J. Jones Benefit Bathes of Buckstones f. 4v Such as haue their whites too abundant.
1597 W. Langham Garden of Health 147 Barren women, and such as are troubled with the whites.
1682 G. Hartman Digby's Choice Coll. Rare Secrets ii. 265 It Cures..the Whites in Women.
1739 Gen. Chirurg. Dict. in J. Sparrow tr. H. F. Le Dran Observ. Surg. Leucorhæa, the Fluor Albus, or Whites in Women.
1822 J. M. Good Study Med. IV. 69 Among novices there is some difficulty in distinguishing the discharge of whites from that of blenorrhœa.
1873 W. W. Hall Health at Home viii. 582 Leucorrhœa, whites, Female weakness..is a discharge caused by falling of the womb.
1928 C. S. Whitehead & C. A. Hoff Ethical Sex Relations (new ed.) i. ii. 49 Leucorrhœa or whites..is an abnormal and unhealthy condition to be regarded with concern.
†15. A white spot or mark. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > white thing > [noun] > white mark
white1551
1551 in F. Collins Wills & Admin. Knaresborough Court Rolls (1902) I. 59 One oxe stirke with a whitte in his forehede.
1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 38/1 Exortus,..the white growing in the naile.
1587 L. Mascall First Bk. Cattell ii. 169 Likewise to haue for his [sc. a horse] beautie, a white in his forehead, or a white fether on his nose.
1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. iii Selenite, a stone wherein is a white, that decreaseth and encreaseth as the Moone groweth.
16.
a. Italian History. A member or supporter of the Bianchi, a political faction within the pro-papal Guelph party which later allied itself with the pro-imperial Ghibelline party.The Bianchi were opposed to the Neri (the Blacks: see black n. 7a).
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > politics > Italian politics > [noun] > supporter of Guelphs > black or white
black?1585
white?1585
?1585 E. Aggas tr. E. de L'Allouette Catholicke Apologie ii. f. 83 He was declared..a perturber of the peace of the Church, as hauing molested all Italy, with the factions of the Whites, and the Blackes.
1615 E. Grimeston tr. P. d'Avity Estates 1226 A fraternitie or brotherhood, the which hath retained the name of Whites vnto this day, whereas they say seruice verie deuoutly.
1680 C. Ness Compl. Church-hist. 428 The Guelphs..and the Gibellines,..the Black and the White (as those Two Factions were called).
1762 Mod. Part Universal Hist. XXXVI. 51 Florence, in a short time, became as much divided between the Whites and the Blacks as Pistoia had been before, and was equally filled with tumults.
1785 H. Boyd Hist. Ess. in tr. Dante Inferno I. 159 As both the whites and the blacks were only branches of the Guelfs, or old papal faction, Charles was honourably received by all.
1849 J. A. Carlyle in tr. Dante Divine Comedy: Inferno 64 (note) Florence was divided by two factions, the Neri and Bianchi, or Blacks and Whites.
1868 Baedeker's N. Italy (ed. 2) 287 About the year 1300 the party struggles again burst forth between the same rival families, under the new names of the Whites and the Blacks.., in which the Guelphs (Neri) were eventually victorious, and the Whites, among whom was the poet Dante Allighieri, banished.
1989 B. G. Harrison Ital. Days iii. 148 The victorious Guelphs split into two parties: the Whites, who sought to maintain the integrity and independence of the Republic, and the Blacks.
2008 Renaissance Q. 61 511 Expulsion of defeated groups—Ghibellines, Guelfs, Whites (most famously Dante), magnates, gente nuova, powerful families—was a regular occurrence.
b. A member of any of various political groups associated with the colour white. Now usually: a member of any of various counter-revolutionary, anti-communist, or strongly conservative parties. Cf. sense A. 6.The colour white has been associated particularly with royalist and legitimist causes, and hence with counter-revolutionary, anti-communist, reactionary, or conservative parties such as those who opposed the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War (1917–22), or those who opposed the socialists before and during the Finnish Civil War of 1918. For more details, see A. 6.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > groups or attitudes right to left > [noun] > the right > reaction > adherent of
white1623
reactionary1799
reactionist1834
retrogradist1836
White Guard1921
society > authority > rule or government > politics > Russian politics > [noun] > opponent of Bolsheviks
White Russian1918
white1921
a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. f. cxvv Ye hoost whiche Issuyd oute of the Castell of the South East apperyd whyte, And that other apperid blacke. These .ii. hosts apperyd as thoughe they faught eche of theym with other and shewyd as ye whyte was firste victoryous, and lastly ouercomyn.]
1623 W. Traheron & E. Grimeston tr. P. Mexia Imperiall Hist. 87 Hee being affected to the contrary colour, which they called Venetian, which was grey: which two colours and factions (although there were white and red also) were the chief among all the rest.
1704 Dictionarium Sacrum seu Religiosum at Mobaiedians These Revolters took the Title of Whites upon them, from the colour of their Habit, which they affected to be White, in order to distinguish them from those..whose Colour, as well as that of the Abbassides, was Black.
1759 Mod. Part Universal Hist. II. 256 As the Arabs on this occasion appeared in white cloaths, and the Khalif's men in black; hence arose the two different factions of the Whites and the Blacks in Syria, that have been taken notice of by several of the eastern writers.
1802 C. Wilmot Irish Peer on Continent (1920) 134 The blacks and the whites form'd opposite parties which totally disorganized the Republick.
1850 F. Engels in Democratic Rev. Feb. 355 The department du Gard..is known as the most ancient stronghold of the ‘Whites’—the legitimists.
1880 W. W. Nevin Vignettes of Trav. xlv. 409 Both parties, the ‘blacks’ (papal) and the ‘whites’ (national), can join in gentle vivas and wearing flowers.
1884 Sat. Rev. 20 Sept. 362/2 The Legitimists who accept the Count of Paris and those members of the party who are becoming known as the Spanish Whites are separated by questions of principle.
1918 N.Y. Times 21 Mar. 3/7 In Finland..a tendency is noticeable among the Reds to come to terms with the Germans on the basis of a compromise with the Whites.
1921 F. McCullagh Prisoner of Reds iii. 26 A few miles off, on the west, was a large force of whites, which intended to advance on Krasnoyarsk that night.
1942 ‘A. Bridge’ Frontier Passage i. 6 There were a few Whites in Madrid..and..they had a pretty thin time of it.
1944 M. Laski Love on Supertax ix. 86 She is Russian... Her parents were Whites who fled to Paris just before the October Revolution.
1954 B. North & R. North tr. M. Duverger Polit. Parties ii. i. 216 In small French villages public opinion spontaneously distinguishes between ‘Whites’ and ‘Reds’, ‘clerical’ and ‘anti-clerical’.
1965 M. Michael tr. J. Myrdal Rep. Chinese Village (1967) iv. 186 I joined the Young Pioneers. There we had classes about which districts were red and liberated and which were held by the Whites or the Japanese.
1997 G. Hosking Russia iv. vi. 453 The Whites took the policies of the Russifiers to their logical conclusion, envisaging a state dominated by ethnic Russians.
17.
a. Typography. The blank space in certain letters or types; a space left blank between words or lines (= white line n. 2).
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > printed matter > arrangement or appearance of printed matter > [noun] > space left intentionally > between lines of type
white1594
white line1676
line-spacing1957
1594 H. Plat Jewell House 42 If the whites of certaine letters bee made of one equall bignesse with the o.
1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 215 In Marginal Notes..the White between Words is often..greater than between Line and Line.
1808 C. Stower Printer's Gram. 163 To a solid page, two leads make the usual white after the head.
1885 C. G. W. Lock Workshop Receipts 4th Ser. 213/1 (Electro-typing) It will be found that the ‘whites’ have been almost sufficiently raised.
1978 J. Lewis Typography ii. 78 The face of the letter should be as nearly conterminous with the body as possible, in order to avoid undue whites between the letters.
2003 J. Felici Compl. Man. Typogr. v. 77 (caption) At text sizes, the apparent encroachment of the black background into the whites of the characters is more important.
b. In plural. Art and Photography. White or blank parts in a painting, image, etc.
ΚΠ
1846 J. Ruskin Mod. Painters II. iii. §ii. iv. 197 The roof..of the Florence Baptistery is a bad example, owing to its crude whites and complicated mosaic of small forms.
1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 421 If a plate is over-exposed the image will come up quickly, the whites will be muddy, and the blacks lacking in richness.
1894 Daily News 26 June 6/5 The Horses of Rhesus..an ambitious picture of large size painted by Mr. Harington Bird, A.R.C.A.,..the scheme of whites appears to be well managed.
1907 E. Harwood Notable Pictures Rome 7 He has..concentrated the principal whites of his picture in the central foreground group.
1918 Phytopathology 8 188 If wash or pencil drawings are to be reproduced, contrast should be greater than desired, since there is necessarily a light gray background representing the whites of the picture.
2006 T. J. Clark Sight of Death 193 One way of thinking about the painting is to look to and fro between the silhouette of the snake (with the ghostly whites reinforcing it, in a kind of parody of the whites in the sky) and the silhouette of the farm on the hill.
18. Also (esp. in early use) with capital initial. A member of a light-skinned group of people, esp. a person of European origin or descent.See note on historical and current usage at sense A. 5.
ΚΠ
1644 Divinity & Philos. Dissected iii. 39 It is contrary to nature and impossible for a man naturally black or blackmore to bring forth a white, or a white to bring forth a blacke.
1681 R. Knox Hist. Relation Ceylon ix. 107 The worst word they use to Whites and Christians, is to call them Beaf-eating Slaves.
1726 W. R. Chetwood Voy. & Adventures Capt. R. Boyle 197 There may be about 20000 Whites (or I should say Portugueze, for they are none of the whitest,) and about treble that Number of Slaves.
1797 B. Edwards Hist. Surv. St. Domingo i. 1 The inhabitants..were composed of three great classes: 1st, pure whites. 2d, people of colour, and blacks of free condition. 3d, negroes in a state of slavery.
1826 J. F. Cooper Last of Mohicans I. xiv. 220 Red-skins and whites.
1888 W. B. Churchward ‘Blackbirding’ in S. Pacific 7 Having been longer in Samoa than any live white in the place.
1905 N.Y. Evening Post 27 Oct. 6 He [sc. President Roosevelt] had closed a Mississippi post-office because some whites had made trouble for the colored postmistress.
1953 P. H. Abrahams Return to Goli 175 It is not only the Afrikaans-speaking Whites, not only ‘Die Volk’, who believe in the colour bar.
1976 Equals Oct. 1/5 In contemporary Britain the Two Nations are not so obviously the rich and the poor or the blacks and the whites or the townspeople and the country people, as the urban deprived and the rest of us.
2012 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 24 May 35/4 Those [sc. black businesses] that survived..set up in places where whites didn't want to operate.
19. Also with capital initial. = white squadron n. at Compounds 1f. Also in Admiral of the White: a commander of the white squadron. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > a naval force or fleet > [noun] > squadron > specific
Irish guard1644
blue1653
Blue Squadron1665
white squadron1666
white1668
red1690
red squadron1702
1653 List Common-wealth of Englands Navie (single sheet) The English Colours, and White Flaggs, committed to the Conduct of William Penn, Ebs; Vice-Admirall of England, and Admirall of the White Flagg.]
1668 D. Lloyd Memoires 110 Sir William Berkley..Governor of Portsmouth, and Vice Admiral of the White in the last years Expedition.
a1699 S. Pepys in A. Macgeorge Flags (1881) 69 The Lord Harvey was Rear Admirall..bearing..a white flag in the maine topp, and was Admirall of ye squadron of white colours.]
1704 J. Chamberlayne Chamberlayne's Angliæ Notitia (ed. 21) 572 Admirals of the Fleet..White, Sir Cloudesly Shovel, Admiral. James Wishart, Esq. Vice-Admiral.
1751 Court & City Reg. 168 A List of the Admirals of the Royal Navy of Great-Britain... Admirals of the White.
a1817 J. Austen Persuasion (1818) III. iii. 48 He is rear admiral of the white.
1862 Queen's Regulations for Govt. Naval Service 17 The Admiral of the Fleet, and the Admirals of the Red, White, and Blue, shall wear their proper Flag.
1914 C. Beresford Mem. I. iii. 37 Admiral of the White Sir John Louis, Bart., served in the Mediterranean in 1804.
1956 P. O'Brian Golden Ocean (1996) iii. 47 He then voluntarily proposed Peter's appointment as master and commander, as post-captain, as rear-admiral of the blue, red and white.
1999 Albion 31 655 He [sc. Prince Rupert] was Admiral of the White under the Duke of York at Solebay in 1665 and then shared command of the fleet with George Monck in 1666.
20. Particle Physics. Originally: one of the three quark colours (now disused, superseded by green or yellow: cf. green n.1 14, yellow n. 10). In later use: absence of a colour charge; the state of having no colour (colour n.1 24). Cf. A. 2h.
ΚΠ
1974 Nucl. Physics B. 77 435 If..the quarks have color..then the fi(x) of fig. 1 are the sum of three equal fi, c(x) where the color index c runs over ‘red’, ‘white’ and ‘blue’.
1996 Y. Neʼeman & Y. Kirsh Particle Hunters (ed. 2) ix. 222 The three values of the colour are often referred to as red (r), yellow (y) and blue (b). (Another version..is: red, white and blue.)
1999 H. Pulaczewska Aspects of Metaphor in Physics 219 The later replacement of yellow for white in the set of colours labelling the three kinds of quarks was motivated by the fact that in time the colorless state had also come to be referred to as white.
2010 R. A. Serway Physics for Scientists & Engineers (ed. 10) V. xlvi. 1423 A quark and an antiquark in a meson must be of a color and the corresponding anticolor and will consequently neutralize to white.

Phrases

P1. In similative and comparative phrases, sometimes hyperbolical, and frequently with connotations of purity, esp. as white as (or whiter than) snow, milk (cf. snow-white adj. and n., milk-white adj. and n.), as white as lily flower, as white as glass, as white as a swan (cf. swan-white adj.), as white as whale's bone, as white as flour, as white as a neep, as white as wool, as white as curds, and (in sense A. 4) as white as a cloth, as white as a sheet, as white as a ghost.
ΚΠ
OE St. Mary of Egypt (Julius) (2002) 72 Þa loccas hire heafdes wæron swa hwite swa wull [L. ut lana albos].
OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xvii. 2 Hys reaf wæron swa hwite swa snaw [L. alba sicut nix].
OE tr. Wonders of East (Tiber.) §21. 196 Beoð þa earan swiðe leohte & hi beoð an lichoman swa hwite swa meolc [L. quasi lacteo].
a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 83 (MED) Ðanne wurð ic iclansed of alle mine sennes, and hwittere ðane ani snaw.
c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) 15 (MED) He was whit so þe flur [a1350 Harl. so whit so eny lylye flour].
c1300 St. Faith (Laud) 80 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 85 (MED) A coluere þare cam, so ȝwijt so milk.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 10380 Ten lambes, quitte als milk.
a1425 (?a1350) Seven Sages (Galba) (1907) 78 (MED) Þe thrid maister was litel man Faire of chere and white als swan.
a1450 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Lamb.) (1887) i. 2081 (MED) Scheo hadde a mayden childe: Sabren hit highte, as whit as glas.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) viii. 232 Hawbrekis, that war quhit as flour.
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox, Wolf, & Husbandman l. 2395 in Poems (1981) 89 Quhyte as ane neip and round als as ane seill.
1508 W. Dunbar Goldyn Targe (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems (1998) I. 185 A saill als quhite as blossum vpon spray.
1512–13 Syr Degore (de Worde) sig. A The kynge had..A doughter as whyte as whalles bone.
1533 J. Gau tr. C. Pedersen Richt Vay 63 Giff thay be reid as purpur neuertheles yai sal be quhit as wow.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. i. sig. A3v Vpon a lowly Asse more white then snow, Yet she much whiter.
1651 C. Gerbier Elogium Heroinum 75 Their Necks as white as Snow, their Breast as pure as Allabaster.
1727 J. Gay New Song Similes in J. Swift et al. Misc.: Last Vol. 210 As smooth as Glass, as white as Curds.
1753 J. Collier Ess. Art of Tormenting i. ii. 46 She..looks as white as a cloth.
1837 Edinb. Med. & Surg. Jrnl. 48 118 The whole surface of the body was covered with very minute scales as white as flour, so that the patient was named the white man, ‘hvita man’.
1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay iv. 63 I am as white as driven snow compared to some blackguards.
1897 H. Caine Christian iii. xii. 311 The man..turned white as a ghost.
1923 Humorist 29 Sept. 228/1 There he was leaning against the mantelpiece, as white as a sheet.
1978 Washington Post (Nexis) 6 Dec. b1 I went in the bathroom and I started crying and then I looked in the mirror and I was white as a ghost.
2002 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 3 Oct. d8/5 A coiling flower, as white as porcelain, wound on a vine around a black urn.
P2.
a. In allusive or proverbial phrases, chiefly in collocation with black.a white hen's chick: see white hen n. at Compounds 1f.
ΚΠ
c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 148 Swyþe fayr þyng hys þat wyte, And þer by-syde blok [read blak] a lyte, Wel ydryȝt [read ydyȝt]; Þe wyte þe uayrer hyt makeþ [Konrath corrects to þe wyte hyt þe uayrer makeþ].
c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. x. l. 436 And wherby wote men whiche is whyte if alle þinge blake were?
a1450 (?1420) J. Lydgate Temple of Glas (Tanner) (1891) l. 1250 White is whitter, if it be set bi blak.
1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell sig. Eiiv The whyte apperyth the better for the black.
1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. v. sig. Hiiv Were not you as good than to say, the crow is whight.
1586 E. Hoby tr. M. Coignet Polit. Disc. Trueth xliv. 193 And Ammian thought that it was as vnpossible, to find out in all Asia a true Lawyer as a white Crow.
1619 Two Wise Men & All Rest Fooles vii. i. 91 Yes, contrarie enough, as white is to blacke.
1765 T. Percy Reliques Eng. Poetry I. 44 Everye white will have its blacke, And everye sweete its sowre.
1830 C. Bury Jrnl. of Heart 146 But mark the sequel; every white has its black, and every sweet its sour.
1867 B. Brierley Marlocks of Merriton 32 As different he'll be to what he wur when theau see'd him last, as black is to white.
a1963 W. C. Williams Embodiment of Knowl. (1977) 170 We say opposite as black is to white, as yes is to no, as motion is to no motion.
1980 Econ. & Polit. Weekly 8 Mar. 512 It has to be an individual or a group that is to el Supremo as white is to black.
2005 Callaloo 28 344 As different from Marder as black from white, or night from day.
b. to call white black, to turn white into black (also to call black white, to turn black into white and variants): to call or make something the opposite of what it really is; to lie.
ΚΠ
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 2188 (MED) Of feigned wordes make him wene That blak is whyt and blew is grene.
a1475 (?a1430) J. Lydgate tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Life Man (Vitell.) l. 14394 (MED) He wyl make an Argument..And preue also that whyht ys blak.
a1535 T. More Dialoge of Comfort (1553) i. x. sig. B.viiiv More coumfort may he haue in his heart, that where whyte is called blacke..abydeth by the trueth.
1570 L. Tomson Answere Assertions Fecknam f. 74v Put not a Lyons skin vppon an Asse. Call white, white: and blacke, blacke: good, good: and bad, bad.
1579 S. Gosson Schoole of Abuse To Rdr. sig. ☞7 Making black of white, Chalke of Cheese.
1602 J. Darrell Replie to Answer I. Deacon & I. Walker i. 1 To perswade that white is blacke, that fire is Ice, that it is dark night in the cleare sunshine.
a1637 N. Ferrar tr. J. de Valdés 110 Considerations (1638) xv. 35 A Christian person should alwaies stand upon his guard touching this point, in such manner, that he come not to be couzened with the white for the black, nor the black for the white.
1672 W. Walker Paroemiologia Anglo-Lat. 33 They turn black into white, and white into black. Nigra in candida vertunt, Juv.
1709 A. Pope Chaucer's January & May in Poet. Misc.: 6th Pt. 187 Nay, if my Lord affirm'd that Black was White, My Word was this; Your Honour's in the right.
1788 E. Picken Poems & Epist. 118 They taul sic flaws, An' wantet to mak' black o' white, Without a cause.
1829 R. Southey All for Love ix. 100 To prove..That right is wrong, and wrong is right, And white is black, and black is white.
1862 M. B. Betham-Edwards John & I III. i. 9 As well endeavour to show that black is white, as to prove that any temptations you may have had can in the smallest degree palliate you.
1896 B. L. Farjeon Betrayal of John Fordham iv. 299 It don't make black white, 'cause I'm a wrong 'un.
1901 H. B. Workman Dawn Reformation I. v. 254 The art of making black into white by rules of logic was nowhere more highly esteemed than in the Universities of Paris and Oxford.
1979 Maclean's 7 May 64/1 Great stuff! Black is white. Bad is good. Newspeak lives.
2011 Jerusalem Post (Nexis) 28 June 2 They call white, black, and black, white, and live in a topsy-turvy world. But I have to take them seriously.
c. to wash a Negro (also blackamoor, Egyptian, Ethiopian) white and variants: (chiefly in negative contexts) to (attempt to) change a person's fundamental nature. Now offensive and rare. [Compare German den Mohren weiß baden, den Mohren weiß waschen (17th cent.).]
ΚΠ
1581 T. Howell His Deuises sig. C.ijv Lyke one that washeth a black a Moore white.
1630 T. Dekker Second Pt. Honest Whore i. 89 This is the Blackamore that by washing was turned white.
1662 E. Stillingfleet Origines Sacræ i. v. §5 I think they have striven if not to make an Ethiopian white, yet an Ægyptian to speak truth concerning his own Country.
1754 S. Bowden Poems Var. Subj. 125 Fruitless the toil, to wash the negro white,To polish boors, or make a blockhead bright.
a1845 T. Hood Black Job in Wks. (1862–3) VI. 166 We've scrubb'd the negroes till we've nearly killed 'em, And finding that we cannot wash them white, But still their nigritude offends the sight.
1858 U.S. Democratic Rev. Feb. 162 No one knew better than that brave old Commodore, that to make good sailors out of bad boys, was much like an attempt to wash a negro white.
1875 Harper's Mag. Apr. 775/2 Forbear! 'tis useless trying To wash a negro white; You can not bring the sunrise By shouting for the light.
2005 Afr. News (Nexis) 4 Jan. Later, writers like Snowden perpetuated the myth of Africans being dirty by such racistic expressions like ‘To wash an Ethiopian white’, implying blackness represented dirt which one could not wash white (clean).
P3.
† white and black n. Obsolete a game of some kind (not identified).
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > other specific games > [noun] > others
sitisota1400
papsea1450
half-bowl1477
pluck at the crow1523
white and black1555
running game1581
blow-pointa1586
hot cocklesa1586
one penny1585
cockelty bread1595
pouch1600
venter-point1600
hinch-pinch1603
hardhead1606
poor and rich1621
rowland-hoe1622
hubbub1634
handicap?a1653
owl1653
ostomachy1656
prelledsa1660
quarter-spellsa1660
yert-point1659
bob-her1702
score1710
parson has lost his cloak1712
drop (also throw) (the) handkerchief1754
French Fox1759
goal1765
warpling o' the green1768
start1788
kiss-in-the-ring1801
steal-clothes1809
steal-coat1816
petits paquets1821
bocce1828
graces1831
Jack-in-the-box1836
hot hand1849
sparrow-mumbling1852
Aunt Sally1858
gossip1880
Tambaroora1882
spoof1884
fishpond1892
nim1901
diabolo1906
Kim's game1908
beaver1910
treasure-hunt1913
roll-down1915
rock scissors paper1927
scissors cut paper1927
scissors game1927
the dozens1928
toad in the hole1930
game1932
scissors paper stone1932
Roshambo1936
Marco Polo1938
scavenger hunt1940
skish1940
rock paper scissors1947
to play chicken1949
sounding1962
joning1970
arcade game1978
1555 Acts 2 & 3 Philip & Mary c. 9. sig. Eii Bowlyng, tenise, disyng, whyte and blacke, making and marring, and other vnlawfull games.
P4.
a. to turn up (also throw up, show) the whites of one's eyes and variants: to roll one's eyes upwards or open them wide, so that the whites are more visible, esp. in a show of devotion or prayer, or in death, astonishment, horror, anger, etc.
ΚΠ
J. Metham Amoryus & Cleopes (1916) l. 1739 Amoryus vpward had turnyd the qwyght Off hys eyn:..qwan sche sey hym ded Her chekys sche gan tere.
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox, Wolf, & Cadger l. 2053 in Poems (1981) 79 The quhyte he turnit vp off his ene tuay.
1594 T. Nashe Terrors of Night in Wks. (Grosart) III. 280 Enthronizing graue zeale and religion on the eleuated whites of their eyes.
1657 P. Heylyn Ecclesia Vindicata 349 Lifting up both his hands, and whites to heaven.
1662 I. T. Haughton's Grim the Collier iii. 43 in Gratiæ Theatrales He, poor Heart, no sooner heard my newes, But turns me up his Whites, and falls flat down.
1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Signs of Sickness When a Sick Horse turns up the Whites of his Eyes above, you may conclude that he is in Pain.
1771 T. Smollett Humphry Clinker II. 44 Mrs. Tabitha..threw up the whites of her eyes, as if in the act of ejaculation.
1796 J. Wolcot Satire in Wks. (1812) III. 409 Flimsy logic to surprise And raise the whites of Country Members' eyes.
1822 T. L. Peacock Maid Marian x. 140 He remained gasping, with his mouth open, his lips quivering, his hands clasped together, and the whites of his eyes turned up towards the prince with an expression most ruefully imploring.
1836 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker 1st Ser. xvii He shewed the whites of his eyes like a wall-eyed horse.
1858 O. W. Holmes Autocrat of Breakfast-table xi. 319 The Professor showed the whites of his eyes devoutly.
1887 H. R. Haggard She v. 64 Job turned up the whites of his eyes and groaned, and the Arab murmured ‘Allah’, and groaned also.
1932 A. Bell Cherry Tree viii. 108 We approached the colts, and soon had them penned in a corner of the meadow... They stood shining the whites of their eyes at us and quivering.
1989 Times Lit. Suppl. 22 Dec. 1491 Silly old Roderick keels over and turns up the whites of his eyes.
1994 D. Healy Goat's Song (1995) 171 Behind his glasses anger opened the white of his eyes as he descended the stairs.
b. to say black is the white of a person's eye: to find fault with a person. Cf. black adj. and n. Phrases 3. Now rare.
ΚΠ
1742 Select Trials Old-Bailey (new ed.) IV. 194 I have used the Sea in the King's and Merchant's Service, this great while, and defy any Person to say, that Black is the White of my Eye.
1796 Grose's Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 3) at Black Eye He cannot say black is the white of my eye; he cannot point out a blot in my character.
1828 G. Smeeton Doings in London 85 As Mother Cole said.., ‘no one could say black was the white of her Eye’.
1934 P. O'Donnell On Edge of Stream 191 I'd like meself to..have the pleasure of knocking down the man who'd say black was the white of his eye.
c. until you see the whites of their eyes and variants: (originally and chiefly as part of a command in armed combat) until you are close enough to shoot without fear of missing your target or wasting ammunition; also in extended use. [The phrase is often attributed to either of the American officers Colonel William Prescott (1726–95) or General Israel Putnam (1718–90) at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 (compare quot. 1818). Similar expressions in a number of other European languages are also anecdotally attributed to 18th-cent. military commanders; however, German parallels are attested from as early as the early 17th cent. (see J. Grimm & W. Grimm Deutsches Wörterbuch at weisz D. 1a).]
ΚΠ
1818 S. Swett Hist. Bunker Hill Battle in D. Humphreys Ess. Life I. Putnam App. 230 Powder was scarce and must not be wasted. They should not fire at the enemy till they saw the white of their eyes.
1877 Shield 17 Nov. 287/2 One of the best ways of approaching members of Parliament on this question will be to approach them in such a manner that we may see the whites of their eyes. (Laughter.)
1889 R. Kipling Barrack-room Ballads (1892) 77 And when he could spy the white of her [sc. the mare's] eye, he made the pistol crack.
1900 Glasgow Herald 9 Feb. 8/2 They repeatedly showed themselves.., evidently trying to draw our fire.., but Macdonald's order was ‘Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes.’
1940 L. Hart Happy Hunting Horn in D. Hart & R. Kimball Compl. Lyrics L. Hart (1976) 272/2 Lie in ambush, but be sure when You see the whites of their eyes—don't shoot!
1961 Times 11 Dec. 4/5 Croston centred from the left wing with the reverse stick and Fentum was unmarked and close enough to see the whites of Cahill's eyes.
2004 Z. Unger Working Fire v. 72 Fighting fire is the ‘whites of the eye’ thing: If you shoot water too soon, the only effect will be to..cause the smoke at the ceiling to bank down to the floor.
P5. whiter than white: extremely white; frequently figurative: morally pure, having an untarnished reputation.Popularized in the 20th cent. as an advertising slogan for Persil washing powder.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [adjective] > brilliantly white
whiter than white1597
incandent1854
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. D Teaching the sheets a whiter hew then white. View more context for this quotation]
1597 J. Gerard Herball i. lxxi. 104 This Iacint is of a pleasant white colour tending to yellownesse, tipped about the hollow part with white, whiter than white it selfe.
1658 J. Mennes & J. Smith Wit Restor'd 119 Whiter than white, if you would pourtray ought, Display her neck pure as the purest thought.
1826 M. S. Stanhope Almack's (ed. 2) III. ii. 82 The first thing I saw was my Lord, fast asleep, in his gouty chair; Lady Jemima, whiter than white, singing some lack-a-daisical ballad, very much out of tune..and Miss Bevel.
1872 J. Hatton Valley Poppies I. xiii. 232 Her white teeth were whiter than white against the contrast of her lips and her brown glowing cheeks.
1949 D. Smith I capture Castle (U.K. ed.) vii. 95 The strangeness of her face: that look she has of belonging to a whiter-than-white race.
1962 Daily Tel. 28 June 1/3 He is said to have said that the report made out the BBC to be ‘whiter than white’.
1974 ‘A. Garve’ File on Lester vii. 31 Where their leaders are concerned, the masses are puritan—they expect standards of personal behaviour whiter than white.
1979 K. Bonfiglioli After You with Pistol xxii. 180 My knuckles were now Whiter-Than-White.
2009 Daily Tel. 1 Apr. 22/3 We are trapped in a revolving door. A government sinks into sleaze. An opposition party promises that it will not just be whiter than white; it will be seen to be whiter than white.
†P6. to spit white: to eject frothy-white sputum from a dry mouth. Cf. to spit sixpences at spit v.2 2a. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > discharge [verb (intransitive)] > cough or spit up
to spit white1600
yesk1664
expectorate1882
1594 J. Lyly Mother Bombie iii. ii. sig. E2 Ri...We dyd but a little parboile our liuers, they haue sod theyrs in sacke these fortie yeeres. Hal. That makes them spit white broth as they doo.]
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 i. ii. 212 If it be a hot day, & I brandish any thing but a bottle. I would I might neuer spit white again. View more context for this quotation
1622 T. Dekker & P. Massinger Virgin Martir iii. sig. H Had I bin a Pagan stil, I could not haue spit white for want of drinke.
1664 tr. F. Plater et al. Golden Pract. Physick (new ed.) ii. xiii. 108 They that are thus, spet white and froathy and speak with difficulty and stammer, because their Tongues (as they say) stick to their mouthes.
1784 J. Stockdale in Shakspeare: Dramatic Wks. 478 (note) To spit white, being the consequence of inward heat.
P7. in the white: denoting cloth in an undyed state; hence of other manufactured articles in an unfinished state. Cf. quot. 1846 at sense A. 2a.
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1808 J. Rogerson Diary 16 Nov. in W. B. Crump Leeds Woollen Industry 1780–1820 (1931) 89 A great call for Cloth of a very thin nature called pellin Cloth they are made in the White.
1811 J. Taylor Remarks Present State Devon in T. Risdon Chorogr. Surv. Devon (new ed.) p. xxv The articles..are merely manufactured here, and sent in the white to London, where they are dyed.
1876 F. S. Williams Midland Railway 636 Furniture, made in London, but unfinished,—‘in the white’ it is called.
1965 Wireless World July 9 (advt.) This range includes..ready-assembled cabinets in the white for finish to own requirements.
1971 Country Life 10 June 1416/2 James Giles..bought consignments of Worcester porcelain in the white for decorating to commission.
2005 Econ. Hist. Rev. 58 706 The edict was followed by a second measure of 19 January 1770, extending the import ban to cloth in the white.
P8. to bleed white: (a) intransitive (hyperbolically) to shed colourless blood (rare); (b) [compare French †saigner jusqu'au blanc (1798), †saigner au blanc (1845), saigner à blanc (1863)] transitive to drain completely of resources (cf. bleed v. 10).
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > injury > injure [verb (intransitive)] > be injured > be wounded > shed blood
bleeda1300
to weep (tears of) blood1593
to bleed white1854
the mind > possession > taking > extortion > practise extortion on [verb (transitive)]
ransom?a1425
to poll and pill1528
exact1534
bloodsuck?1541
extort1561
rack1576
flay1584
shave1606
wire-draw1616
punisha1626
sponge1631
squeeze1639
screwa1643
to screw up1655
bleed1680
torture1687
to screw down1725
to shake down1872
to squeeze (someone) until the pips squeak1918
to bleed white1935
rent1956
1854 C. Dickens Hard Times i. ii. 7 His skin was so unwholesomely deficient in the natural tinge, that he looked as though, if he were cut, he would bleed white.
1898 Advocate of Peace 60 83/1 The navy much be kept equal to any other two navies of the world, if every other department of the public service is robbed and the people bled white through excessive taxation.
1935 Sabbath School Worker Nov. 6/1 ‘There are too many appeals for money’, the people are ‘bled white’, and ‘we can't give another penny’.
1945 R. Chandler in R. Chandler Speaking (1966) 113 It is the writers' own weakness as craftsmen that permits the superior egos to bleed them white of initiative, imagination, and integrity.
1982 ‘W. Haggard’ Mischief-makers i. 16 Her husband had been a wealthy man, the lady's solicitors sharp and ruthless, and her husband had been bled white to get rid of her.
2001 Bizarre July 97/1 She's bleeding us white.
P9. white-on-white.
a. Denoting articles made of white cloth with a white woven-in or embroidered design; also in extended use, of a person's complexion.
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1874 Manufacturer & Builder Dec. 282/1 Suppose the highest art had been reached, and the weaver had succeeded in producing, white on white, or gray on gray, a real artistic picture of considerable merit.]
1887 Atalanta Oct. 45 Another late development of the art was the embroidery of white on white, and much labour was expended on linen smocks and caps.
1888 Art Amateur Mar. 99/3 What sort of floss is best used in this white on white embroidery?
1906 Official Gaz. (Manila) (Phillipine Commission) 4 July 436/2 Trimmed with flap braid of black, lustrous color on blue blouse and white on white blouse.
1955 W. Gaddis Recognitions ii. vii. 572 A bow tie of propeller proportions stood out over extra-length collar bills on a white-on-white shirt.
1958 J. Blish Case of Conscience xi. 113 ‘Why don't you give me a chance?’ Michelis said raggedly. Then he turned white-on-white.
1990 Antique Collector Oct. 37/3 A selection of early painted furniture, fine weathervanes, early textiles, including a white on white trepunto quilt.
b. Originally U.S. Designating violence, crime, or (less frequently) discrimination in which both perpetrator and victim are white; (sometimes more generally) that occurs between white people. Cf. black-on-black at black adj. and n. Phrases 10.
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1971 Chicago Daily Defender 14 Sept. 8/1 White people killing other white people [sc. in Northern Ireland]... That's white on white crime!
1984 New Pittsburgh Courier 4 Feb. 5/4 I would like to see the statistics on white on white crime sometimes, because white people commit a lot of crimes, too.
1990 L. Young in J. Rutherford Identity 200 The possibility that the women might have actually chosen to have a sexual relationship..would disrupt the relative normality of ‘White-on-White’ heterosexual relations.
1991 A. Sachs S. Afr. & Human Rights in Afr. 2 In my lifetime, white-on-white violence in Europe has exceeded by far both in scope and savagery anything practised by Africans against Africans in Africa.
2005 G. McKay Circular Breathing ii. 93 In the new millennium..traditional British racism..has turned on East European refugees and asylum seekers breeding white-on-white racism and violence.
P10. whites-only (also white-only): reserved for white people; (also) designating a policy endorsing exclusively white access, etc. Now chiefly historical.
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1929 Chicago Defender 26 Jan. ii. 2/2 Since some sort of hospital is necessary, and since the ‘for whites only’ sign is still hung from many American hospitals, the separate one is the only alternative offered St. Louisans.]
1945 Chicago Defender 14 Apr. 2/5 That the ‘whites only’ policy of the war department is still being practiced is further evidenced in an official notice.
1961 Ebony Oct. 80/2 Freezing out the clerk and crowding out the drivers was a minority's way of retaliating for all of the ‘white-only’ want ads it had read and for all of the unread application blanks it had filled out.
1968 Listener 18 July 86/3 In 1958, the Court of Appeal supported the Musicians' Union in their boycott of a whites-only dance-hall in dear old Wolverhampton.
1971 Guardian 29 Sept. 19/2 In Salisbury [Rhodesia], there are perhaps half a dozen ‘Whites Only’ signs—mainly on public lavatories.
1980 Eng. World-wide 1 i. 55 In the 1950's Nassau's whites-only schools, cinemas, and restaurants were desegregated.
2002 Sawubona (S. Afr. Airways In-flight Mag.) Sept. 85 Founded on a whites-only policy, the town became the promised land that would save Africa's ‘white tribe’ from extinction.
P11. Originally and chiefly U.S. white-on-black: designating violence, crime, or (less frequently) discrimination in which the perpetrator is white and the victim is black. Cf. black-on-white at black adj. and n. Phrases 11.
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1970 J. Jackson in Chicago Daily Defender 21 Feb. 1/1 Black on black crime, especially must stop in order for us to deal with the major issues of white on black crimes.
1989 City Press (Johannesburg) 19 Feb. 9 White on black violence.
1995 New Yorker 27 Mar. 62/3 There is still plenty of racism and discrimination of the traditional white-on-black sort.
2009 T. Epstein Interpreting National Hist. iv. 107 The students discussed working to end racial profiling, white-on-black violence and black-on-black violence.
P12.
big white telephone n. (also big white phone and variants) slang the bowl of a toilet; originally and chiefly in to talk to Ralph (also God, etc.) on the big white telephone and variants: to vomit into a toilet (cf. ralph v.).
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1977 UNC-CH Campus Slang (Univ. N. Carolina, Chapel Hill) (typescript) Apr. 4 Talk to Ralph on the big white telephone, to vomit.
1987 K. Lette Girls' Night Out (1993) 98 I ran back to the squat, hung my head over the toilet and talked to God on the big white telephone.
1990 Independent (Nexis) 2 Dec. 32 It's useful to know that when someone asks the way to a big white telephone what they want is the loo.
2002 Chicago Daily Herald (Nexis) 28 Dec. (Sports section) 7 He was calling Europe all night on the big white phone.

Compounds

C1. Compounds of the adjective.
a. Parasynthetic. Frequently occurring in specific designations of animals or plants (see also white-eared adj., etc.).Some of the following could alternatively be construed as complementary (compare formations at Compounds 1b(b)), or as instrumental compounds of the noun (compare Compounds 2a).
white-aproned adj.
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1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd 262 Oh you white-aprond Gossip.
1868 J. G. Whittier in Atlantic Monthly Jan. 1 Bare-armed..she came, White-aproned, from her dairy.
1977 J. Gillis Killers of Starfish x. 76 A white-aproned waiter appeared..bearing little plates of cheese squares.
2003 A. McCall Smith Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2004) 34 ‘Now then, Paddy,’ said the white-aproned tender.
white-armed adj.
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?1609 G. Chapman tr. Homer Twelue Bks. Iliads iii. 42 Then came the louely Raine-bowe downe Ambassadresse from Heauen, to white-arm'd Hellen [Gk. Ἑλένῃ λευκωλένῳ].
1718 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad IV. xv. 98 The white-arm'd [Gk. λευκώλενος] Goddess.
1879 Scribner's Monthly Nov. 74/2 Bernard arrived at a little watering-place which lay close upon the shore, in the embrace of a pair of white-armed cliffs.
1932 T. E. Lawrence tr. Homer Odyssey (new ed.) xviii. 251 Having worked her pleasure the Goddess departed as the white-armed maids chattered in from their room.
2013 Sun (Nexis) 15 Sept. 14 The endless parade of waving, white-armed old lunatics, gesticulating feebly at each other across the fields and the glens.
white-barked adj.
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1727 R. Furber Catal. Eng. & Foreign Trees 7 Elm, white-bark'd and large-leave'd.
1869 R. F. Burton Explor. Highlands Brazil I. 294 The trunks are white-barked with etiolation.
1902 Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 164 183 Bourgeau,..who was familiar with the ordinary white-barked tree, referred the Saskatchewan tree without question to that species [sc. Betula papyrifera].
2006 Independent 21 Oct. (Mag.) 75/1 The white-barked trunks making pillars that arch out above into a Gothic tracery of fine-limbed branches.
white-barred adj.
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1826 Curtis's Bot. Mag. 53 2686 (heading) Bromelia zebrina. White-barred Bromelia.
1869 E. Newman Illustr. Nat. Hist. Brit. Moths 16 The White-barred Clearwing (Sesia Sphegiformis).
1969 S. Coulter Embassy xviii. 195 No Entry signs—white-barred red discs—were now planted in concrete bases on either sidewalk.
2001 F. Scholz Owls 162/2 The northern pygmy-owl has..a long, perky, white-barred tail.
white-billed adj.
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1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Freux, a Rooke, or white-billed Crow.
1829 E. Griffith et al. Cuvier's Animal Kingdom VI. 52 White-billed Hawk.
2011 N. Amer. Wildlife 122/1 The yellow-billed loon, G[avia] adamsii, known as the white-billed diver in Britain, closely resembles the common loon except for its pale, whitish yellow bill.
white-bloomed adj.
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1596 G. Markham Poem of Poems ii. sig. C His is hys owne, I and my selfe am hys, Amongst the white bloomd Lyllies in the pryme, There feeds the darling of my best harts blysse.
1774 Ideal Trifles iv. 30 Blithe from the Elm, Or white-bloom'd Hawthorn.
1833 Rose Bud 18 May 149/2 There, towering with imperial pride, The rich Magnolia stands, And here in softer loveliness, The white bloom'd Bay expands.
1998 Univ. Oxf. Bot. Garden News Autumn 6/1 The leaves are unstalked and lie close to the square white-bloomed shoots and over-lapping each other at the base.
white-blossomed adj.
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1717 C. Evelyn Lady's Recreation iv. 117 There are several Sorts of Myrtles; the most worthy whereof is the double white blossom'd Myrtle, that flowers in Autumn.
1835 Farmer's Mag. Oct. 281/1 As a shrubbery plant, the sloe is most ornamental, blossoming before all others of the Prunus tribe:—who does not remember ‘the white-blossomed sloe’ of English song.
1911 J. Masefield Everlasting Mercy 79 That white-blossomed pond.
2013 San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News (Nexis) 3 Jan. White-blossomed milk maids and manzanita shrubs are blooming along Mount Diablo's Mitchell Canyon and Donner Canyon areas.
white-bodied adj.
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1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum xii. xv. f. 183v/1 The Cranes of the East Indias, are white bodied, red headed and some greenish.
1795 C. Bishop Let. 23 June (1967) 67 We Shott a Wite Bodyed eagle.
1904 W. B. Yeats King's Threshold 55 It was praise of that great race That would be haughty, mirthful, and white-bodied.
1994 J. Birmingham He died with Felafel in his Hand (1997) i. 18 Big, flabby, white-bodied old Adam.
white-bosomed adj.
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1727 J. Thomson Summer 83 Blights, that blacken the white-bosom'd Spring.
1796 S. T. Coleridge Poems Var. Subj. 86 They blessed the white-bosom'd Maid!
1887 J. D. Billings Hardtack & Coffee v. 85 There was no ironing to be done, for ‘boiled shirts’, as white-bosomed shirts were called, were almost an unknown garment in the army except in hospitals.
2012 F. Weldon Habits of House (Electronic ed.) He was too taken up with outrage at thoughts of white-bosomed Flora and Redbreast conjoined that were too disgusting to face.
white-coated adj.
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?a1656 J. Poole Eng. Parnassus (1657) 68 Candle. Shining, burning, enlightning, selfe-consuming, melting, white-coated, flaming.
1663 J. Heath Brief Chron. Late Intestine Warr (new ed.) Table sig. Kkk3v/2 Lambs, a brave white-coated Regiment of the Marquis Newcastles.
1838 C. Dickens Oliver Twist I. xv. 236 A white-coated, red-eyed dog.
1866 W. D. Howells Venetian Life xii. 168 The white-coated sentinels.
1922 R. Leighton Compl. Bk. Dog v. 62 The beautiful white-coated Pyrenean Dog is also essentially a Mastiff.
2012 B. Goldacre Bad Pharma ii. 107 For anyone who likes to think of medical research as a white-coated exercise, with crisp protocols, carried out in clean glass-and-metal buildings, this is a rude awakening.
white-coned adj.
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1775 R. Weston Eng. Flora viii. 219 Wheat..White-coned.
1920 E. Blunden Waggoner 40 Smoke's light blue pennants coil From white-coned oasts.
2007 A. Wilson Ski Atlas of World 206/1 Copper is also topped with scooped bowls and white-coned peaks poking above the treeline.
white-crested adj.
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1612 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes Don-Quixote: Pt. 1 iii. iv. 148 Those that tremble through the cold of the..lofty [margin. Or white crested] Apenines [Sp. los blancos copos del levantado Apenino].
1763 R. Brookes New Syst. Nat. Hist. II. 404 The Strix with an auriculated head, and six brown streaks on the white-crested ears.
1856 C. J. Lever Martins of Cro' Martin lviii. 545 The wind-shaken foliage and the white-crested waves.
1912 Manitoba Morning Free Press 17 Sept. 18/1 Twenty-five purple-crested Odd Fellows, directed by several red or white-crested officers.
2003 S. L. Vanderlip Guinea Pig Handbk. xi. 153/1 The perfect White-crested cavy is difficult to obtain.
white-curtained adj.
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1771 J. Hill Fossils 48 White curtain'd selenite.
1882 Harper's Mag. June 117/1 Lucy had occupied the same still white-curtained nest, opening from Miss Boynton's bedroom.
1914 D. H. Lawrence Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd i. i. 3 At the back is a white-curtained window.
1997 Blueprint Mar. 34/1 A white-curtained niche near the entrance.
white-fanged adj.
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1845 Aristidean Apr. 102 We waked a little astonished to find our toes had not been nibbled by some of these white-fanged gentry, who seem to be so numerous in this neighbourhood.
1952 C. Day Lewis tr. Virgil Aeneid xi. 254 His head was helmeted in a wolf's mask Whose gaping mouth with its white-fanged jaws served for a visor.
2004 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 25 July 26 Unlike other types of Buddhist art, the Himalayan variety contains an initially confusing iconography of nightmarish white-fanged deities, necklaces of severed heads or skulls..and tantric sex so passionate it could scare you into abstinence.
white-flannelled adj.
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1857 G. M. Musgrave Pilgr. Dauphiné II. viii. 200 These white-flannelled asceticks sate chanting in the dead of night.
1884 Harper's Mag. July 230/1 White-flannelled cricketers.
1996 C. Higson Getting Rid of Mr Kitchen vii. 81 The Empire wasn't built by white-flannelled croquet players, it was built by skinheads, and hooligans, bullet-headed squaddies, red-faced drunken jocks and big-boned farm labourers, cockney wide-boys and Geordie psychotics.
white-fleshed adj.
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1743 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandman May 73 We seldom have a white-fleshed calf.
1883 Bull. U.S. Fish Comm. 3 294 For many years green-gilled oysters in England and France have been more highly esteemed..than the white-fleshed ones.
1988 Alaska Mag. Cabin Cookbk. (1990) 10 Halibut is a white-fleshed fish.
2007 Independent on Sunday 29 July (New Review) 51/4 Specialists in the sweet, Italian white-fleshed peaches.
white-flowered adj.
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1562 W. Bullein Bk. Simples f. xxxiij, in Bulwarke of Defence Of this herbe [sc. Trifolium] there be twoo kindes, the one purple colour and swete, and the other white flowred, and not so sweete.
1710 W. Salmon Botanologia II. dliv. 845/2 The fourth, or White Flowered Pennyroyal.
1842 Ld. Tennyson Godiva in Poems (new ed.) II. 115 The white-flower'd elder-thicket.
2001 BBC Gardeners' World Feb. 106/4 For a warmer conservatory, try white-flowered Begonia solananthera..and the shrimp plant, Justicia brandegeeana.
white-frilled adj.
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1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iv. iv. 187 Gilt-edged white-frilled individuals.
1975 C. Dexter Last Bus to Woodstock i. 11 She was immaculately dressed in a black trouser-suit and white-frilled blouse.
2003 F. Shaw Sweetest Thing 405 The French fishergirls in their distinctive coloured petticoats and white frilled caps who smiled so prettily for the camera.
white-fringed adj.
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1759 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. (ed. 7) at Cucubalus The Joints of the upper Part of the Stalk are garnished with white fringed Flowers.
1815 W. P. C. Barton Floræ Philadelphicæ Prodromus 85 [Orchis] white-fringed.
1840 Southern Literary Messenger May 368/2 Martha Mitford..would like the white-fringed curtains.
1944 R. Matheson Entomol. for Introd. Courses xv. 368 The white-fringed beetle, Naupactus Leucolomae , another recent immigrant, has made itself welcome in the South.
2009 Washington Post (Nexis) 22 Oct. a01 But the bog orchid's parents, the white-fringed orchid..and the crested yellow orchid..are both rare in Maryland.
white-frocked adj.
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1777 Frenzy of Fashion 3 With simple glee, and poking chin, The white-frock'd Infant shall our bosoms win.
1891 T. Hardy Tess of the D'Urbervilles I. ii. 22 The white-frocked maids.
1913 A. Teixeira de Mattos tr. J. H. Fabre Life of Fly i. 12 The Black-eared Chat, garbed like a Dominican, white-frocked with black wings, sat on top of the stone, singing his short rustic lay.
1996 E. Luard Family Life (2013) viii. 192 White-frocked and tinsel tiara'd among her attendant princesses, the carnival queen presided over flamenco and sevillana dancing.
white gaitered adj.
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1838 Bentley's Misc. 3 271 He called out, holding the white-gaitered door still in his hand.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 533 His nag, stumbling on whitegaitered feet, jogs along the rocky road.
1999 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 1 July 9 As 106 pairs of white gloved hands and white gaitered feet in the honour guard—provided by the 1st battalion of the Black Watch—moved in unison to present arms, she received the keys to the city.
white-glanced adj.
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1930 E. Blunden Poems 290 Those white-glanced pools.
white-gloved adj.
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1717 A. Pope Rape of Lock (new ed.) v, in Wks. 159 Why round our Coaches crowd the white glov'd Beaus.
1897 C. M. Flandrau Harvard Episodes 318 The big, white-gloved policeman at the door.
1969 J. Singer tr. I. B. Singer Estate i. iii. 41 She placed her white-gloved hand on his arm, her touch so light that he felt her hand must soon slide away.
2010 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Mar. 52/1 Walt Disney hired an all-female battalion of white-gloved inkers and painters.
white-hatted adj.
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1781 Morning Chron. 1 Sept. A man may be an egregious puppy, without deserving any of the epithets which have been so unwarrantably bestowed on the white-hatted tribe in some of the morning papers.
1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 2nd Ser. 286 A brown whiskered, white hatted, no-coated cabman.
1966 V. Nabokov Speak, Memory (U.S. rev. ed.) ii. 41 She put her little foot forward and bent her white-hatted head to ladle out an assiduous but feeble serve.
1999 A. Smith Miracle Survivors 108 She looked from one kirby-gripped white-hatted head to the next.
white-hooded adj.
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1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum i. xx. 58 Small branches, whereon are set divers smaller leaves, and at the toppes divers large white hooded flowers.
1867 Sailors' Mag. & Seamen's Friend May 264/2 Thus slyly and artfully do the priest and his white-hooded and rosaried sisters creep into houses.
1900 W. S. Churchill in Morning Post 17 Feb. 8/1 White-hooded, red-crossed ambulance waggons.
1927 A. Clarke Son of Learning ii. 38 The Abbot said There is a barrel of white-hooded ale Here.
2002 Daily Tel. 5 Feb. 19/1 He also commissioned Fiona Doran, an unknown designer, to make the white-hooded gownless evening ensemble.
white-hoofed adj.
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1780 W. Shaw Galic & Eng. Dict. I Croidhfhionn, white-hoofed.
1833 Ld. Tennyson Poems 53 Beautiful Paris, evilhearted Paris, Leading a jetblack goat whitehorned, whitehooved, Came up from reedy Simois all alone.
1923 Mod. Lang. Rev. 18 437 The explanation makes a bold start by asserting that the White-Hoofed Stag was the son of a king.
2012 Times (Nexis) 12 May (Mag.) 68 So revered is ibérico ham that unscrupulous suppliers sometimes paint the toenails of lesser, white-hoofed hams black to pass them off as the real thing.
white-horned adj.
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1729 R. Bradley Gentleman & Farmer's Guide iii. 128 A long, large, and deep-sided Body, white-horned, broad-foreheaded, great-eyed and black.
1832 Ld. Tennyson Œnone in Poems (new ed.) 53 A jetblack goat whitehorned, whitehooved.
2003 M. Womack Sport As Symbol iii. 60 The Brown Bull of Ulster and the White-horned Bull of Connaught were originally swineherds of two gods.
white-jacketed adj.
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1838 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 3 Feb. 13/2 With their large cutting-bills in their hands, a long line of white-jacketed and white-wrappered blacks were lopping off the stalks of the sugar-canes.
1933 Boys' Life Feb. 7 (caption) Only one more point to decide the championship! Only the flick of a blade to a white-jacketed chest!
1980 H. R. F. Keating Murder of Maharajah xiii. 156 White-jacketed Goan bearers.
2011 Alcalde (Univ. Texas) July–Aug. 21/1 White-jacketed students did the serving.
white-legged adj.
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1704 Nat. Hist. ii, in L. Wafer New Voy. & Descr. Isthmus Amer. (ed. 2) 194 The White-legg'd Turtle. Are good Meat and very fat.
1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxxvii. 375 As he rode away upon his white-legged horse.
1993 New York 28 June 62/2 The howling wilderness now is Stockbridge in mid-July, full of white-legged hordes..searching for some long-vanished trace of Norman Rockwell's America.
† white-listed adj. [ < white adj. + listed adj.1] Obsolete rare
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1859 Ld. Tennyson Merlin & Vivien 788 in Idylls of King The tree that shone white-listed thro' the gloom.
white-maned adj.
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1641 in J. Wilson Ann. Hawick (1850) 53 Ane foir meir, quhyt mainet and quhyt taillet.
1700 J. Dryden tr. Ovid Twelfth Bk. Metamorphoses in Fables 423 His white man'd Steeds, that bow'd beneath the Yoke He chear'd to Courage, with a gentle Stroke.
1883 W. Whitman Daybks. & Notebks. (1978) II. 319 The sea-beach and surf—its myriad ranks like furious white-maned racers, urged by demoniac emulation to the goal, the shore.
1955 E. Pound Classic Anthol. iv. 212 White-maned black stallions Pull with due order.
2006 Total Film Feb. 40/2 Martin-lovers expecting the white-maned funnyman..are in a for a disappointment.
white-mantled adj.
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1736 J. Thomson Britain: 4th Pt. Liberty 40 Thus cruel Ages pass'd; and rare appear'd White-mantled Peace, exulting o'er the Vale.
1825 W. Scott Betrothed iv, in Tales Crusaders I. 64 The white-mantled Welchmen.
1961 W. Brandon Indians (1987) iii. 69 There were in the city 60,000 hearths, so they say, or an estimated 300,000 white-mantled people.
2004 Skiing Nov. 64 White-mantled mountains and forested scenery that can steal your breath away.
white-marked adj.
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1827 R. Sweet Hortus Britannicus 327 Justicia . . picta . . alba. white-marked.
1901 M. C. Dickerson Moths & Butterflies ii. 215 The White-marked Tussock..is the most widely distributed of the Tussock moths.
2005 New Yorker 19 Sept. 83/3 A couple [of horses], all white-marked from saddle galls and years of hard work, looked like no more summers after this.
white-necked adj.
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1755 Visitation 5 Dismal Groans..Utter'd by Spirits cross'd in Love, Who sometimes chuse the Shape to wear, Of an old Post, or white neck'd Mare.
1829 E. Griffith et al. Cuvier's Animal Kingdom VI. 51 White-necked Falcon.
1912 J. Stevenson-Hamilton Animal Life Afr. xvii. 299 The ravens are represented by the white-necked raven (Corvultur albicollis) in the south..of the Ethiopian region.
2006 J. Tveten & G. Tveten Adventures Afar 53 A male white-necked jacobin is the first to visit the feeder beside our window.
white-plumed adj.
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1584 B. R. tr. Herodotus Famous Hyst. ii. f. 90 White plumed in all partes of the body, sauing in the head & necke, the hinder parte of ye wyngs and the taile, which are of a dark & black hue.
1627 P. Fletcher Locustæ ii. iv As when the angry winds with seas conspire, The white-plum'd hilles marching in set array Invade the earth.
1820 J. Keats Fancy in Lamia & Other Poems 49 White plum'd lilies.
1915 S. Lee Life Shakespeare xii. 225 A white-plumed helmet.
1990 A. Adams Island Tax in Green Resistance (1996) 47 Commanded by a gale-force Southwest wind; long ranks of white-plumed horses advance against the land.
white-polled adj. [polled adj.2]
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1780 Morning Chron. 25 Oct. A large white-polled fat Cow.
1812 G. Shaw Gen. Zool. VIII. i. 234 White-polled Warbler.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 513 Staggering Bob, a white polled calf, thrusts a ruminating head..through the foliage.
2009 G. Gilman Cloud & Ashes 173 Were a nightjar in the heather, churring, changing to a cuckoo's mock. She started up. That white-polled boy.
white-railed adj.
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1798 E. Hasted Hist. Kent (ed. 2) V. 127 The neat kept grass lands, separated from the road by a handsome white railed fence.
1847 Illustr. London News 30 Jan. 77/2 A pleasant drive over the numerous white-railed bridges and culverts which span the New River.
1909 H. Begbie Cage iv White-railed cattle-pens.
2004 Atlanta May 56/3 A white-railed porch stretched across the front.
white-ribbed adj.
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1769 J. Wallis Nat. Hist. Northumberland I. 399 I met with the white-ribbed Pecten or Scallop, spotted with red, on the shore of Holy-Island.
1840 A. M. Hall Marian II. v. 139 His stockings were of white-ribbed silk.
1998 Face Apr. 141/1 Today, he is colour-coordinated in brown trousers and a leather jacket, augmented by a white-ribbed Duffer shirt.
white-ribboned adj.
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1840 R. Bremner Excursions Denmark II. 417 A couple of attendants in silver-laced short frocks, white satin nether garments, and white-ribboned shoes.
1885 R. Bridges Eros & Psyche ix. xi. 109 Taking his fair white-ribboned herald's wand.
1955 Pop. Mech. July 10/2 You are just high enough to be able to see clearly cars moving like snails along white-ribboned highways.
2007 L. A. Coben Anna's Shtetl xxi. 133 The symbolic image of Mrs. Budyanska sitting on her front steps, shifting her skirt out of the way of the feet of the soldier with the white-ribboned cap.
white-rinded adj.
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1742 W. Ellis Timber-tree Improved II. 50 Those [Beeches] that stand thick, and most shaded, are most blackened on their Rinds, while others, that stand clear in more Room, are white-rinded.
1874 M. Collins & F. Collins Frances I. 214 Under a white-rinded birch.
2013 Guardian (Nexis) 13 Apr. (Weekend Suppl.) 74 A camembert-style Somerset cheese, but any small, soft white-rinded cheese will do.
white-roofed adj.
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1835 S. H. Lloyd Sketches of Bermuda iii. 34 Hills covered with cedar, and sprinkled with numerous white-roofed houses, which have an exceedingly pretty effect when seen at a distance.
1961 X. Herbert Soldiers' Women 52 The home of her dreams was a white-roofed homestead on a wide red plain with a lily-coated billabong and a winding windmill.
2003 R. MacFarlane Mountains of Mind (2004) i. 16 Kanchenjunga, the 8,000-metre peak visible in good weather from the white-roofed hill-station of Darjeeling.
white-shafted adj.
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1819 G. Samouelle Entomologist's Compend. 409 The white-shafted Plume [Pterophorus leucadactylus].
1918 Bull. (Sydney) 31 Jan. 24/3 A pair of white-shafted fantails (‘cranky fan’) plastered their ethereal wineglass-shaped nest this season on the low twig of a laurel bush.
2000 Flying Mag. Jan. 100/3 The white-shafted San Jacinto battleground monument and other favorite sights drifted into view.
white-sheeted adj.
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1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves I. vii. 157 White-sheeted ghosts dancing in one corner by the glow-worm's light.
1892 E. Reeves Homeward Bound 209 We found the street..blocked up with white-sheeted figures. These were Arab..ladies escorting an intending bride..to the bath.
2009 C. Berry Familiar Stranger 88 I was able to concentrate more on the memory I had of sleeping in a soft, white-sheeted bed.
white-shouldered adj.
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1781 J. Latham Gen. Synopsis Birds I. i. 190 White-Shouldered Shrike.
1870 W. C. Bryant tr. Homer Iliad I. i. 32 Juno the white-shouldered [Gk. λευκώλενος] smiled.
2008 Somerset County Gaz. (Nexis) 13 Oct. Hugh..spent three months earlier this year in Cambodia where he studied the white-shouldered ibis.
white-skinned adj.
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?1530 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry (rev. ed.) f. xxx A whyte hors, so that he be nat al white skynned about the mouth.
1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 660 They scorned their bodies, bicause they sawe them white skinned, soft, and delicate [Gk. τῶν δὲ σωμάτων λευκῶν καὶ ἀπαλῶν].
1851 H. R. Schoolcraft Hist. Indian Tribes U.S. 164 Their white-skinned, auburn-haired, and blue-eyed progeny.
2002 K. Jamie Among Muslims ii. 93 The Lady Shop was advertised by a large painting of a white-skinned woman giving a bright lopsided smile.
white-sleeved adj.
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1677 G. Miege New Dict. French & Eng. i. sig. *X/1 Courtibau dalmatique de Diacre & de Soûdiacre, a white sleeved Vestment or Surplice worn by Deacons and Subdeacons during the celebration of solemn day's Masses.
1802 W. Wordsworth Valley near Dover 4 Boys..In white-sleeved shirts.
1931 A. Gibbs New Crusade 78 The long arm of the law, white sleeved,..was raised against the further progress of her vehicle.
2013 J. Trollope Daughters-in-law i. 9 The priest spread his wide, white-sleeved arms and beamed upon Charlotte and Luke and Charlotte's mother in her lace dress and coat, and all the congregation.
white-smocked adj.
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1847 Essex Standard 21 May Bands of white-smocked strangers are daily to be seen committing fearful ravages on the hills between Witham and Braintree.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. vi. [Hades] 99 The whitesmocked priest came after him tidying his stole with one hand.
1999 Times Higher Educ. Suppl. 19 Mar. 29/2 (advt.) Quite widespread among our white-smocked crew Is the impression that what we in tweed do Is arcane.
white-spatted adj.
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1910 Harper's Mag. Oct. 796/2 These gloved and white-spatted and high-hatted and morning-coated shapes beside them are their ministering phantasms?
1934 D. Thomas Let. 14 Jan. in Sel. Lett. (1966) 93 The white-spatted representatives of a social system that has, for too many years, used its bowler hat for the one purpose of keeping its ears apart.
2006 G. Balfour-Paul Bagpipes in Babylon i. 7 My last visual memory is of his chauffeur tucking a large motoring rug with animal fur on the inside round the Lyon's white-spatted ankles.
white-stockinged adj.
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1752 G. A. Stevens Distress upon Distress i. 43 A neat white-stockin'd Footman.
1869 ‘M. Twain’ Innocents Abroad (1984) xiv. 108 Lightning-flashes of white-stockinged calves and dainty slippers in the air, and then a grand final rush, riot, a terrific hubbub and a wild stampede!
1916 E. Pound Lustra 48 Her white-stockinged feet.
1992 M. Riva Marlene Dietrich 45 How beautiful she looked—in her modern wedding dress, with her white-stockinged ankles showing.
white-stoled adj.
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1620 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes 2nd Pt. Don Quixote xlvii. 316 It is not possible, that a white-stoled lanke-spectacled Matron should mooue or stirre vp a lasciuious thought in the vngodliest brest in the world.
1790 ‘P. Pindar’ Ode to Affectation in Rowland for Oliver 30 To clasp with kisses sweet his white-stol'd Maid.
1939 R. Campbell Flowering Rifle v. 128 White-stoled militia-men in mystic swoon.
white-strawed adj.
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1765 Museum Rusticum 5 369 For the corn was as thick as it could stand; so that if it had not been white strawed, it must have been lodged.
1886 Bankers' Mag. June 528 Peas, beans, and white-strawed cereals are rapidly coming forward.
2000 Farmers Weekly (Nexis) 25 Feb. 25 Even first wheats show little extra profit over other white-strawed crops.
white-tied adj.
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1844 S. Naylor Reynard the Fox viii. p. clxxv E'er heard ye Of any greater sins to others Ascribed, than to our surpliced brothers? Or special excellence allied With black cloth, or a neck white-tied?
1848 A. H. Clough Bothie of Toper-na-Fuosich ii. 21 The Tutor..White-tied, clerical.
1937 Life 27 Dec. 25/1 An avalanche of white-tied young men between 17 and 30, many of whom are attending Yale, Harvard or Princeton.
1998 Daily Tel. 22 July 11/1 The tailcoated, white-tied doormen at the Palace of Westminster will greet him with a drop of the chin and a respectful ‘m'lud’.
white-tiled adj.
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1807 J. Carr Tour through Holland 33 The aqua-terrene nymphs..appear to be so solicitous of removing every feculent impression of the foot in their white-tiled halls..that they frequently neglect to purify their own persons.
1924 G. B. Stern Tents of Israel xiii. 182 I've wanted things, too... Hundreds of baths; baths in white-tiled rooms, and not skimping the hot water.
2008 H. Garner Spare Room (2009) 27 Its white-tiled entryway was dilapidated, its grand mirrors speckled and scarred.
white-tilted adj. [tilted adj.1]
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1837 J. E. Alexander Narr. Voy. Observ. W. Afr. II. xxiii. 145 Long trains of white tilted wagons, including those of the missionaries and traders.
1877 W. W. Fowler Frontier Women (1995) x. 224 The scene opens with a view of three white-tilted Conestoga wagons or ‘prairie schooners’, each drawn by four pair of oxen.
1939 F. Thompson Lark Rise i. 2 The baker's little old white-tilted van.
a1952 E. J. Brady in R. Ward Penguin Bk. Austral. Ballads (1964) 183 White-tilted in the moonlight went rough wagons one by one.
white-tipped adj.
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1706 Life Æsop iii, in tr. Aesop Fables (ed. 16) 296 Crown'd with a Wreath of Lawrel in her Hand, Bearing a long white tipped Silver Wand.
1872 E. Coues Key to N. Amer. Birds 184 The outer feathers white-tipped.
1921 F. S. Mathews Field Bk. Wild Birds & their Music (rev. ed.) 16 The tail feathers of this species, too, are broadly white-tipped.
2009 N.Y. Mag. 25 May 51/2 There may be no better way to pique an appetite than with a mildly sharp, white-tipped, elongated breakfast radish dipped in soft butter and rolled around in a little salt.
white-tongued adj.
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1556 J. Olde tr. R. Gwalther Antichrist ii. f. 45 We nede no white tongued wordes, nor groping reasones of flaterers.
1637 S. Rutherford Let. 14 July in Joshua Redivivus (1664) 8 A heavie doom is for the liar and white tongued flatterer.
a1745 T. Warton Poems Several Occasions (1748) 178 There tottering Gout , and white-tongu'd Fever stand.
1868 Race for Life xi. 28/2 Now and then the white-tongued lightning darted like an arrowy serpent through the forest branches.
1998 L. Sachar Holes (2010) viii. 41 Looking at one, you would have thought that it should have been named a ‘red-eyed’ lizard, or a ‘black-toothed’ lizard, or perhaps a ‘white-tongued’ lizard.
white-topped adj.
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1758 J. Macpherson Highlander ii. 19 In two black lines the equal waters croud, On either side the white-top'd ridges nod.
1867 W. Morris Life & Death of Jason ii. 36 The white-topped billows.
2011 Atlanta Jrnl.-Constit. (Nexis) 4 June 2 d One species, the white-topped pitcher plant, once grew in five Georgia counties but no longer can be found in the state.
white-tufted adj.
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1794 Gentleman's Mag. Sept. 846/1 Soft-bosom'd in white-tufted trees, Some mansion of marble we see.
1900 W. D. Wilcox Rockies of Canada ii. 17 Here marsh reeds and white-tufted cotton-grass grow in the sand and gravel.
2004 T. Wheeler Falklands & S. Georgia 56 The more common white-tufted grebe (Podiceps rolland) is found in similar habitat to the slightly smaller silvery grebe.
white-tusked adj.
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?a1656 J. Poole Eng. Parnassus (1657) 88 Elephant... Untamed, white-tusked, ivory-toothed.
a1822 P. B. Shelley Homer's Hymn to Mercury xcvi, in Posthumous Poems (1824) 327 The wild White-tusked boars.
1932 T. E. Lawrence tr. Homer Odyssey (1992) xi. 163 They slaughtered my men around me one by one and laid them out like white-tusked boars brittled for some banquet, or feast of peers, or wedding in a rich lord's house.
2001 Derby Evening Tel. (Nexis) 23 Feb. 10 There is a white-tusked walrus.
white-veiled adj.
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a1739 C. Jarvis tr. M. de Cervantes Don Quixote (1742) II. iii. xvi. 249 A white-veiled, lank, and be-spectackled Duenna.
1856 E. B. Browning Aurora Leigh i. 4 The white-veiled rose-crowned maidens.
1985 M. Atwood Handmaid's Tale (1988) ii. iv. 29 Nobody ever comes except..Wives and white-veiled daughters on their dutiful way to Salvagings or Prayvaganzas.
2013 Geelong Advertiser (Nexis) 23 Apr. 13 There was also the white-veiled, white-dressed intimidating matron, indisputably in charge of it all.
white-veined adj.
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1601 R. Chester Loves Martyr 102 The white-veind enterlin'd stone Achates.
?1711 J. Petiver Gazophylacii VII.–VIII. Table 61 Common white-veined Butterfly.
1828 M. R. Mitford Our Village III. 104 A rich trail of the white-veined ivy, which crept..over the ground.
1911 J. D. Dragoumis North & South v, in Atlantic Monthly June 735/1 There is a tiny crescent-shaped beach after the big one, closed in by white-veined gray rocks.
2006 L. E. Horn Oregon’s Best Wildflower Hikes: Southwest Region xv. 80 Look in the deep shade for white-veined pyrola, its dark green rosette of leaves patterned with white veins.
white-waistcoated adj.
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1824 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. July 12/2 I want words to express my contempt for him whose highly powdered and white-waistcoated butler puts down..the worst white Champaigne.
1920 E. Wharton Age of Innocence i. i. 1 All the carefully-brushed, white-waistcoated, buttonhole-flowered gentlemen.
2008 Evening Standard (Nexis) 13 June a23 I felt the officious white-waistcoated staff were trying to rub me away.
white-wanded adj.
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1766 St. James' Chron. 30 Jan. Their Lordships make their Appearance in their Robes and Lawn-Sleeves, preceded by their white-wanded Officers.
1812 L. Hunt in Examiner 25 May 321/2 Any white-wanded Lord at a levee.
1854 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross (new ed.) lxiv. 455 A large body of vaguely dressed, white wanded constables..surrounded the coach to prevent the cargo being stolen.
1901 A. Hutton Sword & Cent. i. i. 7 The white wanded guards appear on the scene and cause the combatants to retire a few paces.
white-whiskered adj.
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1819 J. F. Stephens Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI. 56 White-whiskered Pigeon.
1916 R. Cullum Men who Wrought x The white-whiskered face of his host.
2008 Independent Traveller (Nexis) 2 Feb. (Travel section) 16 These red-coated, white-whiskered primates perch in groups grooming one another.
white wristed adj.
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?1611 G. Chapman tr. Homer Iliads xx. 110 White-wristed [Gk. λευκώλενον] Iuno.
1666 S. Morgan Armilogia 54 Pallas was sent from Heaven by the white-wristed Queen to asswage the wrath of Achilles against Agamemnon.
1862 S. W. Partridge Our Eng. Months 116 How the white-wristed birch doth strive to hide..With pointed leaflets every thread-like branch, Bedecked with tassels neat!
2004 K. K. Mead Rise & Decline of Thai Absolutism iv. 94 The soldiers were to be recruited on a voluntary basis from ‘white wristed’ men (non-tattooed men who had escaped their obligations to the state).
b. Complementary, with the sense ‘so as to be, become, or appear white’.
(a) With verbs.
white-paint v. rare
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1897 Mag. of Art Sept. 268 He whitewashed and white-painted what was coloured.
(b) With adjectives.Some of the following could be construed as instrumental compounds of the noun: compare Compounds 2a.
white-churned adj.
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1821 J. Baillie Metrical Legends 64 The white churn'd foam with angry bray.
1877 W. C. Bennett Prometheus Fire-giver 59 Smiting all the white-churned waves with war.
1954 19th-cent. Fiction 9 230 Despite its melodramatic structure and its constant employment of props (lightning, white-churned water, rocks, and mist), the novel..bears rereading even today.
2001 G. Edenbridge Brotherhood iii. 35 A high rocky waterfall down which white-churned water gushed in perpetual motion.
white enamelled adj.
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1527 Inventory 26 June in J. S. Brewer Lett. & Papers Reign Henry VIII (1872) (modernized text) IV. ii. 1457 A white enamelled gold ring, with a great table ruby, wrought, antique.
1762 P. Murdoch tr. A. F. Büsching New Syst. Geogr. I. 77 Its ensign or badge is a white enamelled Elephant appendant to a blue ribband, worn over the left shoulder to the right side.
1894 Daily News 28 June 6/3 In white enamelled wood are some bed tables..for resting on the knees while sitting up in bed.
1991 G. Keillor WLT: Radio Romance xi. 87 They used a white enameled thunder jug to pee in at night.
white-flattened adj.
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1848 London Med. Gaz. 6 1036/1 When pure, it is presented in the form of brilliant white-flattened sexangular crystals, insipid and inodorous.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. vi. [Hades] 84 Nose white-flattened against the pane.
white-painted adj.
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1606 F. Johnson Inq. T. White his Discov. Brownisme 48 If now this white paynted hypocrite had lived in that age and Church, as he did with vs of late, would he nothing haue respected their faith, their order, their constitution.
1725 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman I. iii. 40 The same gardener sold another person a root of white painted thyme for the right Marum Syriacum.
1827 P. Cunningham Two Years New S. Wales II. xxvii. 165 Four white-painted tarpaulings.
1939 New Jersey: Guide to Present & Past (Federal Writers' Project) 253 A two-story brick building with pitched slate roof and white-painted woodwork.
2008 P. Hensher Northern Clemency 84 She opened her white-painted louvred wardrobe doors.
white-pointed adj.
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1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum v. xviii. 510 Foure flowers, each of them by it selfe, made of six white pointed leaves a peece starre fashion.
1948 D. Ballantyne Cunninghams ii. ii. 165 The dark blue sea, white-pointed by the wave tops.
white-set adj.
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1635 J. Reynolds Triumphs Gods Revenge (new ed.) iv. xvi. 323 He came to the scaffold..in a sute of blacke Taffeta, a gowne of blacke wrought tuffe Taffeta, and a great white set ruffe.
1889 A. Conan Doyle Micah Clarke xxviii. 296 The pile of bodies..with their twisted limbs and white-set faces.
1950 F. M. Ford Parade's End 403 The breath was short between her white set teeth.
c. Similative, as white-flowing, white-glittering, white-looking, white-shining, white-steaming, white-waving, etc., adjs.
ΚΠ
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxxvii. ix. 622 Sudines speaketh of another gem called Astrobolos, and saith it is like unto a fish eye, and casteth forth white glittering raies against the Sunne.
1675 R. Leigh Poems 66 Through those white waving Clouds, that ebb and flow Like the resembling Waves, that roul below, Thou spreadst.
1729 R. Savage Wanderer i. 75 White-glittering ice, chang'd like the topaz, gleams, Reflecting saffron lustre from his beams.
1737 Gentleman's Mag. Feb. 72/1 An ill, white-looking Sort of a Gentleman.
1827 G. Darley Sylvia 5 Beautiful Glen of the white-flowing torrent!
1837 T. Campbell Poet. Wks. (new ed.) 187 Our maidens shall dance with their white-waving arms.
1851 J. G. Whittier Benedicite in National Era 16 Oct. 166/5 God's love—unchanging, pure, and true—The Paraclete white-shining through His peace.
?1870 P. M. Duncan Transformations Insects v. 121 A flabby, flat, and white-looking grub.
1921 R. Graves Pier-glass 26 And a white-steaming mist Obscures desire.
a1973 J. R. R. Tolkien Silmarillion (1977) 262 A city white-shining on a distant shore.
2008 Crisis Summer 33/2 As she travels from the North to the South, this White-looking woman stands with her African American father and expresses an authentic American experience.
2010 in G. Doherty Urbanisms of Color 180 The architectural waterworks..are indeed white-flowing, transient symbols of grief that direct one's path to the tomb.
2011 N. Royle Regicide (Electronic ed.) I reached a door with a small window. I looked into a white-shining lab.
d. Modifying colour words to form adjectives and nouns indicating a whitish, pale, or light shade of the colour concerned.
white-blue adj.
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1600 J. Sylvester in R. Allott Englands Parnassus 362 The Easterne winds driues on the roring traine Of white blew billowes.
1847 tr. J.-J. Dubois-Foucou in A. M. Desirabode Compl. Elements Sci. & Art Dentist ii. ii. 404 I limit the coloring of the teeth to three principal shades: white-blue, white-grey, and white-yellow.
1921 F. S. Mathews Field Bk. Wild Birds & their Music (rev. ed.) 103 The egg is white-blue strongly marked at the larger end with cinnamon.
1995 V. Chandra Red Earth & Pouring Rain (1996) 146 Her eyes..blazed; and after seeing this happen, after seeing a burst of cold white-blue light obscure her face, Ram Mohan was never again able to use that tired turn of phrase in his writing.
white-brown adj.
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1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball vi. vi. 664 A great company of long white browne flowers, clustering thicke togither round about the stemme.
1643 R. Baker Chron. Kings of Eng. iv. 154 Course paper, commonly called white brown paper.
1706 G. London & H. Wise Retir'd Gard'ner II. 432 Little Flowers, that are sometimes Blue, sometimes Violet, sometimes, White, sometimes White-brown.
1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. III. 25 A small packet of white-brown paper.
1988 W. Horwood Duncton Quest xxxii. 449 Occasionally juvenile herring gulls swooped down to give a dash of white-brown colour to the scene.
white-fiery adj.
ΚΠ
1876 G. M. Hopkins Wreck of Deutschland xiii, in Poems (1967) 55 Wiry and white-fiery and whirlwind-swivellèd snow.
1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl xv. 351 The snow-ridges..had glowed dawn as she crossed the river outwards, they were white–fiery now in the dusk sky as she returned.
2009 G. Gilman Cloud & Ashes 117 The air was full of voices clamoring, hail-sharp; the light, white-fiery, furious.
white-green adj.
ΚΠ
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball v. xii. 561 The white garden Succorie..hath..whitegreene leaues.
1728 R. Bradley Dict. Botanicum at Helleborine minor flore albo This smaller Hellebore..bearing the like Leaves, but smaller, and of a white green Colour, like those of Lilly Convally.
1876 C. Darwin Effects Cross & Self Fertilisation Veg. Kingdom x. 393 I repeated the experiment by planting near together two varieties of cabbage with purple-green and white-green lacinated leaves.
2010 C.-R. Lee Surrendered (Electronic ed.) In the white-green light of the sodium lamps of the apartment's inner courtyard it appeared as if she might have just ascended from some forsaken world.
white-grey adj.
ΚΠ
a1425 ( H. Daniel Liber Uricrisiarum (Wellcome 225) 268 (MED) We see wele at ee þat whyt gray & whyt ȝalow are not all ane.
1556 in J. G. Nichols Chron. Grey Friars (1852) 28 The gray freeres chaungyd their habbetts from London rossette unto whytt gray.
1776 R. E. Raspe tr. J. J. Ferber Trav. Italy xi. 171 Three large columns, of a white-grey antique marble.
1812 J. Smyth Pract. of Customs ii. 187 The hair of the wild Cat is very long, and of a fine white gray.
1995 Maclean's 17 Apr. 37/2 The thatch of white-grey hair and the chubby pixie's face have appeared on the covers of periodicals from the trendy to the trashy.
†white hoar adj. Obsolete
ΚΠ
c1330 (?a1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) p. 416 (MED) A man he semed of michel miȝt..Wiþ white-hore heued & berd y-blowe.
a1500 (?a1475) Guy of Warwick (Cambr. Ff.2.38) l. 4775 Hys fadur ys olde and whytehore.
1656 T. Watson Crown of Righteousness 8 I have read of a certain people in India called Pandorae, that have white hoar haires in their youth, and in their old age black haires.
1856 J. Melville Old Memories I. ix. 174 So off we set through the frosty lanes, where the white hoar branches glittered like diamonds.
white-lyard adj. [lyard adj.] now rare (English regional (northern))
ΚΠ
1528 in J. S. Brewer Lett. & Papers Reign Henry VIII (1872) (modernized text) IV. ii. 1677 Two litter horses, one palfrey, ‘white lyarde, foskew white’.
1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iii. f. 116 The best colours [for a horse]..are these, the rone, the white lyard, the bay, the sorell.
1607 G. Markham Cavelarice (1617) i. 22 The best colour for a stallyon, is browne bay dapled, dapple gray, bright bay, or white lyard.
1685 G. Langbaine Hunter ii. 22 Make choice of an Horse that is either a Brown-Bay, Dapple-Bay, Black, Sad-Chessnut with Flaxen Main and Tail, so that they have either a White Star, Blaze, or Snip, with a White Foot; Dapple-Grey, or White Lyard with Black Muzzle, Eye, and Ear.
1939 Language 15 40 In northern Eng. dialects a white lyard horse means one dappled with white and black.
white-red adj.
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1587 A. Fraunce tr. T. Watson Lament. Amyntas iii. sig. A4 Cheekes al white red, with snow and purple adorned.
a1618 J. Sylvester Wood-mans Bear (1620) xlv Red-white hils, and white-red plaines.
1782 Scots Mag. Oct. 534/1 The fire being raised to a strong glowing red, or rather white-red heat.
1823 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 284/1 White damask rose, grows eight or ten feet high, with greenish very prickly branches, and white-red flowers, becoming gradually of a whiter colour.
1996 L. E. Modesitt Fall of Angels (1997) xxxii. 177 The white-red fire blazed, and the flame bored through the man.
† white-russet adj. Obsolete
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1538 T. Elyot Dict. Melinus, whyte russette, or a gynger coloure.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxxii. x. 446 A peece of cloth of a white russet colour.
white-yellow adj.
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a1425 ( H. Daniel Liber Uricrisiarum (Wellcome 225) 268 (MED) We see wele at ee þat whyt gray & whyt ȝalow are not all ane.
1712 J. Browne tr. P. Pomet et al. Compl. Hist. Druggs II. 64/1 The best [mastic] is from Chio, which is of a light Colour, or white Yellow, clear, and almost transparent, free from Dross or Filth.
1869 R. F. Burton Explor. Highlands Brazil II. 189 An almost upright bank of white-yellow clay.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. viii. [Lestrygonians] 174 He..felt a slack fold of his belly. But I know it's whiteyellow.
1995 N. Marcar et al. Trees for Saltland ii. 63/2 Bark peeling over most of its surface to leave a white-yellow to grey surface.
e. With nouns, forming adjectives used attributively, with the sense ‘of, relating to, consisting of, or resembling something white’. Also with the sense ‘having or characterized by something white’ (equivalent to parasynthetic adjectives in -ed: see Phrases 1).See also white-ear adj. and n., white line adj., white-skin adj.
white berry adj.
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1765 J. Bartram Diary 29 Aug. in Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. (1942) 33 21/2 Rode over exceeding flat rich ground full of bushes & pretty good timber as..white berry cornus.
1806 M. Lewis Jrnl. 12 Apr. in Jrnls. Lewis & Clark Exped. (1991) VII. 112 White burry honeysuckle.
2010 G. W. Robinette tr. A. Escohotado Gen. Hist. Drugs I. vi. 356 The European white berry mistletoe..sprouts from bird feces and lives semi-parasitically on a number of species of trees.
† white dough adj. Obsolete rare
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1886 A. H. Buck Ref. Handbk. Med. Sci. III. 275/2 Agaricus castus, White dough mushroom.
white duck adj. [duck n.3]
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1789 World 29 June A buff coloured and white sprigged and striped waistcoat, white duck trowsers, and a black silk handkerchief.
1836 Metrop. Mag. Jan. 99 Though dressed in the blue jacket and white duck trowsers of the sailor's Sunday best, at a glance, you would pronounce him to be no seaman.
1850 W. M. Thackeray Pendennis I. xxxvii. 363 In a blue frock-coat and spotless white duck trowsers.
1925 H. Crane Let. 19 Aug. (1965) 214 White undershirt and loose white duck pants.
1959 L. Zukotsky ‘A’ 1–12 xii. 245 White-duck curtains..Hang at the windows.
2006 N. Stone Mr Clarinet xvii. 204 Even his clothes were wrong—white duck pants, a navy-blue blazer and a maroon and white cravat.
white-flower adj.
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1818 J. Keats Endymion i. 34 Honey cells, Made delicate from all white-flower bells.
1944 Life 2 Oct. 81 (caption) Miriam's exquisite skin has a white-flower texture—a dewy-soft freshness.
1998 Zest Sept. 97/2 La Senza, the high-street lingerie chain, fragrances its stores with beads scented with white flower essences.
white-linen adj.
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1481 W. Caxton tr. Siege & Conqueste Jerusalem (1893) clxx. 251 Our sauyour Ihesu Criste was taken doun of the crosse, And enoynted with precious oynementis, & envoluped in whyte lynen cloth.
1537 tr. Original & Sprynge all Sectes f. 28v Euery man wythyn the Alpes or mountaynes of Italy clothed hymselfe in a whyte lynnen garmente.
1756 F. Home Exper. Bleaching 26 Lye which has been used to white linen, called white-linen lye.
1840 R. H. Dana Two Years before Mast xxviii. 96 His ‘long togs’, the half-pay, his beaver hat, white linen shirts, and everything else.
1998 Vanity Fair Apr. 332 With their adaptations of Henry James and E.M. Forster, they held a monopoly on ‘white-linen movies’.
white-sand adj. [In quot. 1899 after Russian belyj pesok (noun) white sugar, lit. ‘white sand’.]
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1598 W. Phillip tr. J. H. van Linschoten Disc. Voy. E. & W. Indies iii. xxxi. 376/1 White sand strands with trees.
1822 J. M. Good Study Med. I. 279 Earthy or white-sand calculi.
1899 Louisiana Planter & Sugar Manufacturer 8 Apr. 216/2 The product of the Russian sugar factories, as is known, is principally so called white sand sugar, or white crystals, of which the sugar, fit for consumption, is made by the refineries.
2014 World: Traveller's Guide (Lonely Planet) (Electronic ed.) Barbados is ringed by azure water and white-sand visions that fuel the fantasies of those stuck in chilly winter climes.
f.
white Africa n. the white colonizers or inhabitants of Africa; the countries or regions of Africa ruled by white people (now historical).
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the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Africa > [noun] > black or white regions
Negroland1658
black Africa1789
white Africa1899
the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Africa > [noun] > white
African1785
white Africa1899
1899 Boston Daily Advertiser 29 Nov. 1/4 This act may have the gravest consequences for all white Africa.
1910 J. Buchan Prester John xxii. 353 The amnesty came..and white Africa drew breath again.
1974 A. Williams Gentleman Traitor i. 16 The armies and police forces of White Africa.
2007 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 2 Feb. (Sport section) 5 White Africa has always played a part in English cricket—besides the obvious examples, David Gower and Derek Pringle both grew up on that confronting continent.
white African n. and adj. (a) n. a light-skinned African, esp. one of European descent; (b) adj. designating a white African; of or relating to white Africans.
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1750 Compl. Hist. Piratical States Barbary i. 2 The Arabians gave the Name of Barbarians to the white Africans, from Barbara.
1848 Times 27 Oct. 6/6 We, white African farmers, cannot live with any feeling of security in a country with so many black tribes.
1849 Past & Future Emigration 256 Poor, unhappy ‘White Africans!’ after in vain striving for redress and protection.
1978 World Lit. Today 52 331/1 One wishes that he had integrated his insights more thoroughly with the history of white African writing.
2010 A. Miller Slow Motion 200 I am an African. A white African. Telling me I'm British is about as absurd as telling an African-American they're Liberian or Ghanaian.
white ale n. now historical (esp. in Devon) a drink having a milky or cloudy appearance, made from ale with the addition of various other ingredients that may include flour, yeast, milk, eggs, or spices.
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the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > ale or beer > ale > [noun] > drinks made with ale
lambswool1593
cock ale1631
rambooze1656
white ale1701
powsowdie1706
hot pint1739
1701 Country Physician 43 Take a glass of the said Wine, and afterwards a hearty draught of white Ale neither too young nor too old.
1724 Daily Post 6 Oct. At the Dolphin..is again to be sold the right Devonshire White Ale, which is approv'd very good for the Gravel or Stone.
1738 W. Ellis London & Country Brewer III. x. 32 Devonshire White Ale... About sixty Years ago..this Drink was first invented at, or near..Plymouth... [It] is brewed from Pale Malt.
1806 ‘P. Pindar’ Tristia 163 Your birth-place Dodbrook deign'd to bless; Fam'd for white ale.
1808 C. Vancouver Gen. View Agric. Devon xvi. 390 The brewing of a liquor called white ale, is almost exclusively confined to the neighbourhood of Kingsbridge.
1879 Notes & Queries 5th Ser. 11 193/2 The white ale..is a weak drink, somewhat similar to table ale or small beer.
2009 R. Mosher Tasting Beer xiii. 201/2 There were many variations, from kvass in Russia to Devon white ale in England, that died out by about 1870.
White Army n. any of the armies which opposed the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War (1917–22); (also) a group consisting mainly of the White Guards (White Guard n. 1) who opposed the Red Guards during the Finnish Civil War of 1918. [With reference to Russia after Russian Belaja armija ( < belaja , feminine of belyj white + armija army n.). With reference to Finland after Finnish Valkoinen armeija ( < valkoinen white + armeija army n.); compare White Guard n.]
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society > armed hostility > warriors collectively > bands of guerrillas spec. > [noun]
Chouan1794
mujahidin1887
White Army1918
Palmach1943
maquis1944
Huk1947
Min Yuen1951
fedayeen1955
Viet Cong1957
VC1964
Victor Charlie1966
society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > [noun] > Russian armies in Civil War
Red Army1918
White Army1918
1918 N.Y. Times 2 Feb. 2/8 (headline) Finnish White Army rounding up Reds.
1918 Times 9 Apr. 6/4 The White Army..is overwhelmingly pro-German.
1960 O. Manning Great Fortune ii. 109 It makes you look like a White Army officer.
1977 J. Cleary High Road to China iii. 95 He had come out of Russia, a cavalry commander in one of the White Armies.
1998 Fortean Times July 40/3 He would have known that Kolchak's White Army was about to recapture Ekaterinburg.
white-arsed adj. slang (of a person) contemptible, worthless, lacking courage.
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the mind > language > malediction > oaths > [adjective] > obscene oaths
white-arsed1903
frigging1930
up yours1956
1903 J. Joyce Epiphany 35 in R. Scholes & R. M. Kain Workshop of Daedalus (1965) i. 45 O, 'e's a whoite-arsed bugger.
1975 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 18 May 1/1 Delegates..sat in shocked silence when an Indian leader accused them of being ‘white-arsed Liberals’.
2000 Scotsman (Nexis) 6 Apr. 13 While Carter initially distrusts them as ‘a bunch of white-arsed do-gooders’, he softens in despair, weeping over the phone for their help after losing an appeal.
White Australia n. now historical attributive designating a policy of restricting immigration into Australia to white people; (also absol.) this policy or its goal.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > racist immigration policy
White Australia1897
society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [adjective] > racist > racist immigration policy
White Australia1897
1897 Independent 6 May 13 There is some hesitation about entering a federation in which the demand for a ‘white Australia’ is sure to be strongly pronounced.
1898 Tocsin (Melbourne) 3 Feb. 7/1 A white Australia is the most sacred article in the creed of every Australian.
1921 Round Table Mar. 314 The White Australia policy—the determination to keep Australia white, a home for European races.
1930 W. K. Hancock Australia iv. 77 The policy of White Australia is the indispensable condition of every other Australian policy.
1979 Guardian 5 Jan. 7/2 Mr Gough Whitlam's Labour Government abolished the ‘white Australia’ policy five years ago.
2004 J. Jupp Eng. in Austral. vi. 154 Three areas of concern were the hostel strikes, the White Australia policy and claims that the ‘English disease’ of industrial militancy had been introduced by immigrant shop stewards.
white backlash n. resentment felt by white people in response to demands made by, or concessions made to, black people.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > segregation or discrimination > reaction against progress of black people
white backlash1963
1963 Washington Post 20 Oct. a1/2 (heading) ‘White backlash’ leaves many scared.
1964 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 29 July 2 Goldwater is no racist, but there's little doubt that his supporters hope to win votes from the ‘white backlash’, the so-far unmeasured resentment among many whites to some of the negro demonstrations and riots.
1974 Spartanburg (S. Carolina) Herald 25 Apr. c2/1 He said a serious white backlash had developed against aboriginal advancement programs.
2007 U.S. News & World Rep. 19 Feb. 38/1 The black senator had become a liability, Graham explains, a casualty of the South's surging white backlash and the exponential growth of groups like the ‘white leagues’ and the Ku Klux Klan.
white backlasher n. a white person who feels resentment in response to demands made by, or concessions made to, black people.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > segregation or discrimination > reaction against progress of black people > person
white backlasher1964
1964 N.Y. Amsterdam News 2 May 11/1 To put it another blunt way—the white ‘backlashers’ of today are simply the white ‘whiplashers’ of yesterday.
1968 Listener 7 Nov. 625/1 The spies converge on Shaefer, and the homely white-backlashers adroitly lay them flat.
2007 R. D. Kahlenberg Tough Liberal vii. 135 Shanker also made a point to distance himself from white backlashers who supported him during the 1968 strike.
white ball n. now chiefly historical a ball at which all the ladies are dressed in white.
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society > leisure > dancing > ball or dance > [noun] > other balls or dances
carolc1300
buttock-ball1698
redoubt1698
ridotto1708
race ball1770
county ball1771
dress ball?1772
promenade1778
waltz1802
hunt ball1807
dignity ball1834
ball-royala1843
polkery1845
jigging-party1872
prom1879
Cinderella dance1883
dinner dance1887
white ball1891
cotillion1898
taxi dance1910
Stampede Dance1950
go-go1965
1891 Leeds Mercury 13 Jan. At a white ball the men wore white satin.
1895 Pall Mall Mag. Sept. 140 A month after Mamie's arrival Lidian gave a ‘white ball’ in her honour.
2000 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 23 Sept. e18 Rosecliff..provided the setting for the legendary ‘White Ball’,' at which women wore white and powered their hair, and a fleet of a dozen fake, life-sized white ships was docked in the Atlantic outside.
† white-ball v. Obsolete rare transitive to clean or paint with whiting (whiting n.1 1).
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the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning of clothes > clean clothes [verb (transitive)] > with composition
white-ball1780
1780 Mirror No. 93. ⁋12 The servants had their liveries new white-ball'd.
1848 Advocate of Moral Reform 2 Oct. 147/3 The lady herself is highly rouged and white-balled, and over-dressed to decided vulgarity.
white band disease n. a disease of unknown aetiology affecting corals of the genus Acropora or family Acroporidae, characterized by necrosis of the soft tissues with the formation of a distinct white band of exposed coral skeleton or bleached tissue.
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1983 Amer. Zoologist 23 960/1 Several types of intracellular protozoans were observed, as well as necrosis due to ‘white band disease’ and ‘black line disease’.
1997 R. J. Goldstein Marine Reef Aquarium Handbk. xiv. 115/1 White-band disease may follow a recent hurricane or occur for no discernible reason.
2009 C. R. C. Sheppard et al. Biol. Coral Reefs ix. 258 In the Acropora case, White Band Disease caused mass mortality.
† white bead bandstring n. Obsolete rare a green alga found in the Atlantic and Caribbean, Cymopolia barbata (order Dasycladales), having fronds that resemble a string of white beads.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Diploblastica > phylum Coelenterata > [noun] > class Anthozoa Actinozoa > non-specific types
stone-shrub1687
white bead bandstring1696
sea-mulberry1753
wedge-coral1860
1696 L. Plukenet Almagestum Botanicum 118 Corallina fistulosa Jamaicensis,..Nostratibus White Bead Bandstring dicta.
1707 H. Sloane Voy. Islands I. 58 White Bead Bandstring.
white beer n. an unfiltered, top-fermented style of wheat beer, brewed chiefly in Belgium and the Netherlands, and typically flavoured with coriander, orange zest, etc.; (also) a style of (filtered or unfiltered) beer brewed in Germany from malted wheat, malted barley, and hops. [After Dutch witte bier (1562) and (in later use) German Weißbier, †weißes Bier (both 16th cent.).]
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1696 W. Mountague Delights Holland 24 Their Beer (of which they have many sorts, as Rotterdam Beer, Dort, English Beer, white Beer, sweet Beer, Breda Beer, &c.).
1762 P. Murdoch tr. A. F. Büsching New Syst. Geogr. IV. 350 Its commodious situation for navigation and trade, its brewery of a pleasant white beer,..supply its inhabitants with the means of good subsistence.
1893 Pop. Sci. Monthly Nov. 144/1 Breakfast..consisted of two Vienna loaves, Hamburg smoked meat, cheese, and white beer.
1983 ‘J. le Carré’ Little Drummer Girl i. 38 A farewell celebration..—an evening get-together, with white beer and sausages—was quietly sabotaged by Alexis.
2013 Wall St. Jrnl. 12 Oct. (WSJ Mag.) 36/2 Try the Oc'Ale Blanche, a grassy version of a Belgian-style white beer.
white belt n. Martial Arts a white belt as worn by a beginner; the lowest rank in a martial art, represented by this belt; (also) a person with this rank, a beginner; cf. belt n.1 2c, black belt n. 3a.
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1914 A. L. Ridger Wanderer's Trail xi.149 When the student reaches the rank of sanyku..he discards the white belt in favour of the brown.
1969 Black Belt Jan. 50/2 He has climbed from white belt to black belt,..winning some local tournaments along the way.
1997 P. Westbrook & T. Hazarika Harnessing Anger (1998) 107 When I started out, I was a white belt, a beginner, and they look upon white belts like they're dirt.
2009 J. Maddox Karate Countdown ii. 13 ‘At first, you'll wear a white belt with your robes,’ Dad explained. ‘As you get better and better, you'll get a new belt as you reach each new level.’
white-blonde adj. (of hair) of such a light blonde colour as to be almost white; (of a person) having such hair.
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1884 St. Louis Globe-Democrat 24 Feb. 9/2 Mrs. Wm. E. Bent looked lovely.., with white blonde hair, worn a la Marguerite.
1925 Overland Monthly Mar. 112/3 Hulda was already on the first branches, hanging by her knees, white-blonde hair trailing.
1997 J. Moore Never eat your Heart Out 68 Hunkered-over shoulders and white-blond hair, long white eyelashes and pale skin gave him a weird wizened albino-dwarf look.
2004 Short Easy Hairstyles Sept. 14 (caption) With white blonde locks like these, you are sure to turn a few heads.
† white bonnet n. Scottish Obsolete a fictitious bidder at an auction; cf. bonnet n. 13.
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society > trade and finance > buying > buyer > [noun] > bidder > one who runs up bidding
goad1608
setter1699
white bonnet1760
puffer1765
sweetener1823
jolly1856
runner-up1860
floor man1928
1760 Decisions Court of Session, 1752–6 130 This too common practice of employing white bonnets at roups, was a manifest cheat.
1815 in R. Bell Treat. Conveyance Land (1815) 168 What is commonly called a white bonnet, that is, a person employed by the seller to raise the price, without any intention of buying for himself.
1867 T. Carlyle Reminisc. (1881) I. 205 Hazlitt..was at the Fonthill Abbey sale..‘hired to attend as a white bonnet there,’ said he with a laugh.
white book n. [compare post-classical Latin liber albus (1419 as the title of a work on English common law by John Carpenter), and also album n.2] a book of official records or reports bound in white; spec. (with capital initials) the book first published in England in 1882 as Annual Chancery Practice and later entitled Annual Practice and Supreme Court Practice.
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society > communication > record > written record > register or record book > [noun] > other types of registers
Domesday Book1178
register1426
white bookc1432
town booka1547
christening book1558
muster1565
minute-book1566
Domes-booke1610
Newgate Calendar1686
time book1786
press book1808
provision book1840
visitors' book1846
guestbook1849
poison book1870
poison register1894
war diary1917
sign-in1966
society > law > jurisprudence > [noun] > book treating of law > type of book or spec. book
style-book1708
white book1965
c1432 in PMLA (1934) 49 453 (MED) Þe copiis of þees forseyd dedys..word by word I wryte in a whyte book at Oseney.
1457 in J. T. Gilbert Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889) I. 294 The Whit Boke.
1612 J. Davies Discouerie Causes Ireland 47 A pension of eighty Markes, per annum, was graunted to Art'Mac Murrogh, chiefe of the Kauanaghes; the enroulement whereof, I found in the White Booke of the Exchequer.
1768 Hist. City & County Norwich 126 In 1426, the liber albus, or white book, a fair vellum manuscript, respecting the affairs of this city, was first compiled.
1891 Times 4 Feb. 5/3 Another Whitebook on East African affairs has been presented to the Reichstag.
1895 Law Times 100 3/1 The judge and Master Macdonell hunted through the White Book, and unearthed a rule sufficiently elastic.
1911 B. Nightingale Ejected of 1662 II. 1027 The White Book of Preston gives the following.
1965 J. Dedham Young Man's Guide to Law xiii. 150 Great industry has to be employed in really absorbing the procedure of the courts both from the ‘White Book’ (the High Court practice) and the ‘Green Book’ (the County Court practice).
1982 I. H. Jacob Supreme Court Pract. I. p. vii It may fairly be claimed that the year 1982 is the hundredth anniversary of the White Book.
white-breast v. transitive to face or show up against with a white breast.Apparently an isolated use.
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a1930 D. H. Lawrence Mod. Lover (1934) 11 The fallow flickered over with pink gleams of birds white-breasting the sunset.
white brick n. (a) a light-coloured brick, esp. a hard, durable variety of brick made from gault; frequently attributive; †(b) (apparently) = Bath-brick n. at Bath n.2 Compounds 3 (obsolete).
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the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > polishing > [noun] > implement for polishing > implements for polishing metal
Flanders tilea1399
white brick1468
Flanders brick1651
scratch-brush1797
buff1831
Bath-brick1837
scratch card1839
buffer1854
rag wheel1869
bob1879
buff-stick1881
scratch-knot1905
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > clay compositions > baked clay > brick > [noun] > types of
white brick1468
red brick1587
clinker1659
clinkerc1660
stock-brick1683
Windsor brick1702
grey stock1726
stockc1738
red stock1748
firebrick1749
Welsh lump1798
malm1811
cutting-brick1815
pecking1819
blue brick1823
malm brick1824
Windsor1841
cutter1842
grizzle1843
shuff1843
picking1850
Woolpit brick1887
Hollander1897
Staffordshire1898
Stafford brick1908
misfire1923
klompie1926
1468 in L. F. Salzman Building in Eng. (1992) viii. 144 Brekstones called Whitebrek.
1577 R. Willes & R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Hist. Trauayle W. & E. Indies f. 362v It is borne vp with iiii. hundred columnes or pillers of white brick.
a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1670 (1955) III. 555 Here my Lord & his Partner had built two or 3 roomes with flanders white brick, very hard.
1724 J. Buxton Let. 10 June (2005) 48 All of white brick, the architraves cornishes & mouldings..of the same.
1741 W. Salmon London & Country Builder's Vade-mecum x. 49 (table) White Brick Paving.
a1756 E. Haywood New Present (1771) 252 Rubbing..with scouring paper, rotten-stone, or white-brick.
1845 J. H. Parker Gloss. Terms Archit. (ed. 4) I. 72 In colour they are paler than ordinary red bricks, but are redder than the common white brick of Suffolk.
1909 H. Begbie Cage v A little white-brick cottage.
1969 R. Blythe Akenfield ix. 140 The school at Akenfield..is a stark, knife-edged building constructed of Suffolk white-brick, [etc.].
1979 Guardian 10 July 19/7 The famous Suffolk whitebrick which Georgian architects favoured for the region's grander houses.
2008 N.Y. Mag. 26 May 50/3 Completed in 1951, it's the original East Side white brick; residents have included Grace Kelly and Benny Goodman.
white broth n. broth or stock of a white or light colour; see also to make white broth of at broth n. Phrases.
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the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > soup or pottage > [noun] > other soups
breec1000
mortressc1387
cretone?a1400
mortrelc1400
primrosea1450
water-kale?a1500
white broth?1537
plum broth1614
mutton broth1615
veal brotha1625
nettle-kale?c1625
China-broth1628
bisque1647
beer-broth1648
dilligrout1662
nativity broth1674
sowdyc1700
mandarin broth1701
white soup1708
soup-vermicell1724
soup-meagre1733
burgoo1743
sago-gruel1743
soup maigre1754
vermicelli soup1769
vermicelli1771
noodle soup1779
mock turtle soup1783
pepper-water1783
mulligatawny1784
powsowdie1787
macaroni soup1789
bird's nest soup1806
smiggins1825
garbure1829
pish-pash1834
laksa1846
sancocho1851
ajiaco1856
pepper soup1860
liquorice-soup1864
mock turtle1876
borsch1884
petite marmite1890
whey-brose1894
rassolnik1899
lokshen soup1900
menudo1904
hoosh1905
sinigang1912
waterzooi1915
Cullen Skink1916
swallow's nest soup1920
mizutaki1933
rasam1933
pasta fazool1935
pho1935
pasta fagioli1951
stracciatella1954
solyanka1958
tom yam1960
mannish water1968
pasta e fagioli1968
ribollita1968
tom yam kung1969
?1537 T. Elyot Castell of Helthe ii. xxiv. f. 39 Boyled meate, breade steped in whyte brothe, with sodden lettyse, or cykorie, are than good to be vsed.
1606 T. Dekker Seuen Deadly Sinnes London ii. sig. D1 Heere and there (like a Prune in White-broth), is stucke a spruice but a meere prating vnpractised Lawyers Clarke all in blacke.
1691 A. D'Anvers Academia 8 So she..In White-broath, and Canary steeps him.
1788 R. Briggs Eng. Art Cookery 131 When you have cut up the pig, take out the brains and chop them, put them into a stew-pan, with half a pint of white broth or gravy.
1877 E. S. Dallas Kettner's Bk. of Table 361 Poulette Sauce..is a Dutch sauce..with white broth instead of water.
2005 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 21 Sept. d10/2 Duk man du kook ($7.95) is a soup of rice cakes, glass noodles and dumplings in a white broth.
white-burning adj. Manufacturing Technology and Geology (of clay) becoming white when fired.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > clay > [adjective] > other attributes of clay
tempered1697
lean1754
unvitrescible1783
exfodiated1795
puddled1796
white-burning1875
wedged1903
1875 Pract. Mag. 5 196/2 A mixture of red-burning clays of group 3 with the white-burning clays of group 1, does not, as might be expected, produce a light red brick.
1922 Maryland Geol. Surv. XI. 331 The residual kaolins of southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland..are composed of kaolinite, feldspar, and quartz in very fine grains and are usually white burning.
2006 K. S. Keith & H. H. Murray in J. E. Kogel et al. Industr. Min. & Rocks (ed. 7) 370/2 High-grade white-burning clay contains less than 1% Fe2O3.
white cane n. = white stick n. 3.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > other medical equipment > [noun] > other miscellaneous equipment
wresting thread1616
tractors1798
tetanomotor1860
examining table1877
wire instrumenta1884
wristband1884
nasal spray1888
mackintosh sheet1889
gas mask1892
bath-bed1894
inspissator1897
Murphy's button1899
trembling-chair1899
solenoid1901
sunray1921
oxygenator1928
white cane1930
white stick1930
microdrive1955
photocoagulator1965
bubble1966
stimoceiver1967
hospital gown1970
smart pill1988
1930 Irish Times 8 Dec. 5/4 (headline) White canes for the blind.
1973 Times 8 June 7/7 (advt.) Nowadays it takes more than a white cane to help blind people.
1980 D. MacKenzie Raven & Paperhangers vi. 85 There's a special place for blind men. And you get a white cane.
2013 Sci. Amer. July 41/1 He had adapted by walking with a white cane and conducting his studies in braille.
white canon n. [from the colour of the habit worn; compare post-classical Latin canonicus albus (from the early 13th cent. in British sources)] a Premonstratensian canon.In quot. c1275 an anachronistic reference.
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c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 14898 Vnder þan ilke þinge comen to Æluric þan [MS þan Æluric] kinge. munekes and eremite & canunes white [Fr. (Wace) religius chanuine].
?a1425 Chron. Papacy l. 377 in Jrnl. Eng. & Germanic Philol. (1942) 41 187 In þe ȝer of grace Ml. C. xix þe ordre of primonstrensis, þat is whit chanouns, bigan in diocise of lundun.
Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 412 Premoster, whyȝte chanoun.
1566 J. Barthlet Pedegrewe Heretiques f. 64v The authour thereof was one Nobertus Lotharing, Byshop of Laudane, who ordeyned them white Chanons to weare a white cowle.
1695 T. Tanner Notitia Monastica Pref. sig. b4v The Premonstratensian Canons..were called also White Canons from their Habit, which was a white Cassock with a Rochet over it, and a long white Cloak.
1793 S. Ireland Picturesque Views Medway 200 This venerable and extensive ruin was formerly an Abbey of Premonstratensian or White Canons.
1884 W. E. Addis & T. Arnold Catholic Dict. 685/1 The habit of the Norbertines was white; hence they were commonly called in England the White Canons.
1949 E. Goudge Gentian Hill (1992) i. vi. 77 In the spring of 1196 the first Abbot, Adam, with six White Canons of the Norbertine Order, took possession.
2001 Scotsman (Nexis) 15 Aug. 8 Dryburgh was built by the White Canons or, to give them their posh name, the Order of Premonstrensians.
white chauvinism n. a belief that white people are superior to non-white people; prejudice against non-white people; cf. white supremacy n.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > race theory > belief in white supremacy
Anglo-Saxonism1844
manifest destiny1845
Saxonism1884
Nordicism1925
white chauvinism1928
white racism1943
1928 N.Y. Times 27 Nov. 12 The Communist party in South Africa is instructed to undertake as its central task the organization of the toiling negro masses and to fight against ‘white chauvinism’.
1946 Polit. Affairs 25 935/2 The corrupting influence of white chauvinism has operated to maintain the most harmful division in the ranks of American labor.
1984 Washington Post 26 Feb. 10/1 White chauvinism in jazz writing has in large part replaced the tentative thrust toward ‘ethnomusical’ and socially aware analysis that were evident in the 60's and 70's.
2008 Sunday Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 20 Jan. (Mag.) 52 The Aboriginal population was decimated by violence and disease and their culture was systematically attacked by white chauvinism and religious zeal.
white chauvinist n. a person who believes that white people are superior to non-white people.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > race theory > belief in white supremacy > one who
Nordicist1927
white chauvinist1929
white racist1944
white suprematist1958
verkrampte1967
1929 Pittsburgh Courier 27 Apr. i. 12/4 As one white chauvinist at August, Georgia, expressed it to me: ‘The niggers know where to get off at.’
1951 W. Z. Foster Outl. Polit. Hist. U.S. xxxiv. 563 Much of the race prejudice that does exist among the Latin American peoples..is due to the corrupting attitudes of white chauvinists (diplomats, tourists, and businessmen) from the United States.
1999 Univ. Pennsylvania Law Rev. 148 21 A ‘white chauvinist’ who could not stand having a black in control.
white chocolate n. a white or pale yellow confection typically made from cocoa butter, milk, and sugar.White chocolate differs from darker chocolate in that it contains no cocoa solids.
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the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > chocolate
jessamy-chocolate1697
milk chocolate1723
plain chocolate1737
chocolate drop1764
chocolate cream1851
chocolate1852
chocolate liqueur1864
chocolate button1865
choc1874
chocolate bar1875
choccy1885
langue de chat1897
black chocolate1902
soft centre1902
truffle1902
liqueur chocolate1904
bar1906
bark1910
chocolate coin1910
white chocolate1917
dark chocolate1930
Mars bar1932
Smarties1939
nutty1947
liqueur1965
1916 Internat. Confectioner Dec. 49/2 I have heard a weird story of a white chocolate, alleged to be made in Switzerland—doubtless ‘snow white’ as a compliment to the snow-capped Alps of that country.]
1917 Sci. Amer. 1 Dec. 409/3 The Swiss Army..has but one notable food product—the white chocolate. This is made entirely of cocoa butter and sugar, the brown residue of the bean after removal of the stearin being excluded.
1988 R. L. Beranbaum Cake Bible ii. 423 White chocolate is not considered to be ‘real chocolate’ in the United States because it contains no cocoa solids.
2014 Bristol Post (Nexis) 15 Aug. 20 My deep wedge of strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake..was as ludicrously rich and moreish as it sounds.
white-choker n. [compare choker n. 2] slang (now rare) a clergyman.
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society > faith > church government > member of the clergy > [noun]
God's maneOE
priestOE
clerkc1050
secularc1290
vicary1303
minister1340
divinec1380
man of Godc1384
kirkmana1400
man of the churchc1400
cockc1405
Ecclesiastc1405
spiritual1441
ministrator1450
abbé1530
reverend1547
churchman1549
tippet-captain?1550
tippet knight1551
tippet man1551
public minister1564
reading minister1572
clergyman1577
clerk1577
padre1584
minstrel1586
spiritual1600
cleric1623
cassock1628
Levite1640
gownsman1641
teaching elder1642
ecclesiastic1651
religionist1651
crape1682
crape-gown-man1682
man in black1692
soul driver1699
secularist1716
autem jet1737
liturge1737
officiant1740
snub-devil1785
soul doctor1785
officiator1801
umfundisi1825
crape-man1826
clerical1837
God-man1842
Pfarrer1844
liturgist1848
white-choker1851
rook1859
shovel hat1859
sky pilot1865
ecclesiastical1883
joss-pidgin-man1886
josser1887
sin-shiftera1912
sin-buster1931
parch1944
1851 Bell's Life in Sydney 19 Apr. 1/4 Despite the croaking anathemas of pseudo-saints and whinings of white-chokers.
1903 A. H. Lewis Boss xxi. 292 It's that same Reverend Bronson who gives Melting Moses th' office to dog me. I'll put Mr. Whitechoker onto my opinion of th' racket.
1912 A. Bennett Matador of Five Towns & Other Stories 100 You belong to that Methody lot... I seed you talking to them white-chokers.
†white-chokerism n. slang (now obsolete) clericalism.
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the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > good repute > reputability or honourableness > [noun] > respectability
respectableness1750
decency1751
sponsibility1767
respectability1769
white-chokerism1858
1858 Reynolds's Newspaper 9 May 1/1 (headline) The annual crop of evangelical white-chokerism.
1866 J. R. Lowell Let. 10 Apr. (1894) I. 361 I don't understand your English taste for what you call ‘respectability’ (I should call it ‘whitechokerism’), thinking, as I do, that the one thing worth striving for in this world is a state founded on pure manhood.
white Christmas n. a snowy Christmas.
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society > faith > worship > liturgical year > feast, festival > specific Christian festivals > Christmas > [noun] > snowy
white Christmas1840
1840 Hull Packet 18 Dec. 5/4 A severe frost accompanying the snow, leads us to look for a ‘white’ Christmas.
1857 C. Kingsley Two Years Ago III. x. 305 We shall have a white Christmas, I expect. Snow's coming.
1913 Collier's 13 Dec. 8 (heading) A white Christmas.
1942 I. Berlin (title of song) White Christmas.
2012 Church Times 21 Dec. 37/1 We will huddle together in the most un-Anglican fashion, dreaming not of a white Christmas, but of a new heating system.
† white cloak n. Obsolete a member of a religious order who wears a white habit; cf. white canon n., White Friar n. 1, white monk n.
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society > faith > church government > monasticism > religious order > Order of St. Benedict > [noun] > Cistercian
white monk?c1335
pied monk1530
white cloak1610
Bernardine1663
Cistercian1663
1610 tr. C. Morillon Funerall Pompe sig. B3 Then followed the religious persons of S. Auoy, alias Piquet. The white Cloakes. S. Catherines in the valley.
1621 T. Lodge tr. S. Goulart Learned Summary Poeme of Saluste of Bartas ii. 22 The white Cloakes [Fr. les Blancs manteaux], the Carmes, The Augustines, the Bernardines, the Iacobins, the Cordeliers.
1693 A. Gavin Short Hist. Monastical Orders 118 The first Monastery, where this Reform took place, was that of the White Cloaks (or Blanc Manteaux) at Paris.
1752 tr. V.-C. Châlons Hist. France I. 170 The order of religious called White Cloaks boast their being instituted by this holy hermit, from whence they are also called Williamins or Williamites.
white coffee n. chiefly British coffee served with milk or cream; (also) a drink of this.
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1810White coffee [see sense A. 2g].
1873 Sporting Gaz. 5 July 475/1 I..have heard nothing but Stock Exchange slang (in German, too!) and stale political discussions, vociferated over white coffee and rolls.
1877 Boston Daily Advertiser 23 Oct. When an Austrian feels as if he need something to ‘brace up’ on, he takes a ‘schwartzen’, which is black coffee without milk; if he be hungry, he takes a white coffee, that is, with milk and sugar.
1925 X. M. Boulestin Conduct of Kitchen 10 It is somewhat distressing..to have to stop at the coffee-stall on the way home for an honest sandwich and a cup of ‘white’ coffee.
1938 Times 22 July 15/5 Cream of tomato soup, grilled lamb cutlets (lean), new potatoes, green (garden) peas.., glass of good Burgundy, and white coffee.
1988 Financial Times 18 Mar. (Weekend FT section) p. xxi/4 In the UK..white coffee is preferred.
2003 W. Gibson Pattern Recognition iv. 33 The ‘white’ coffee of her childhood visits to England, a pre-Starbucks mirror-world beverage resembling weak instant bulked up with condensed milk and industrial-strength sugar.
† white colours n. Obsolete = white flag n. (in various senses).
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society > armed hostility > peace > [noun] > cessation of hostilities > suspension of hostilities > flag of
white flag1578
flag1582
white colours1614
truce-flag1876
1614 T. Adams Diuells Banket v. 239 I haue read of Tamberlaine, that the first day of his siege was honoured with his white Colours, the second with fatall red, but the third with finall blacke.
1622 W. Scot Course Conformitie sig. Z2 Long, long, haue the white colours of peace hung in our eye.
1676 tr. A. Thevet Prosopographia (new ed.) 84 in T. North tr. Plutarch Lives (new ed.) Sebastian..commanded one of his Souldiers to hold up the white colours at his Spears-end, in token of his surrendring.
1791 Star 28 Oct. The Marocquees had hoisted white colours, and offered to raise the siege within 24 hours.
1898 J. E. C. Bodley France II. iv. ii. 335 Although the Orleans family has no legitimate blood of Louis XIV. in its veins, this was probably not the reason why Louis Philippe took every occasion of repudiating the white colours.
white cooper n. now historical a cooper who makes wooden vessels for domestic or dairy use; see cooper n.1 1.
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society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > producer > makers of containers or receptacles > [noun] > maker of casks or cooper > types of
white cooper1688
dry-cooper1715
under-cooper1745
butt cooper1813
tight cooper1889
herring-cooper1892
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. vii. 317/2 The White Cooper and Barrel Cooper..are two distinct Trades.
1781 Gore's Liverpool Directory 56 Lupton Henry, white-cooper.
1837 N. Whittock et al. Compl. Bk. Trades (1842) 162 The White-cooper makes all the wooden vessels required in household concerns, dairies, or private breweries.
2008 U. McGovern Lost Crafts (2009) 277 There are two main categories of cooper—wet and dry... A third category, the white cooper, is also recognized.
white crop n. now chiefly historical a cereal crop (which typically becomes straw-coloured as it ripens); cf. black crop n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a), green crop n. at green adj. and n.1 Compounds 1d(a).
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the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > cultivation of plants or crops > crop or crops > [noun] > other crops
fleece1513
white crop1743
green crop1744
root crop1772
row crop1776
robber1777
mix-grass1778
breaking-crop1808
industrial crop1818
foliage crop1831
kharifa1836
scourge-crop1842
overcrop1858
by-crop1880
coppice-with-standards1882
sewage grass1888
trap-crop1899
cleaning crop1900
nurse crop1907
cover crop1909
smother crop1920
stoop crop1928
snatch crop1937
break crop1967
wholecrop1968
1743 Sel. Trans. Soc. Improvers Knowl. Agric. Scotl. 204 The nearest Field will nevertheless continue improving, being a good Soil, since it gives but one white Crop in three Years time.
1774 Scots Farmer 2 xxiii.152 By a judicious change and succession of crops; avoiding the repetition of white crops, particularly oats.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 451 By the alternate changes of white and green crops.
1831 J. Morton Gloucestershire Hill-farm 4 in Farm-rep. No white or corn crop should be repeated in too rapid succession.
1986 R. J. P. Kain Atlas & Index Tithe Files 438 The files record almost as many variations on this theme of white crops followed by several years of leys as there were parishes.
white-crossed adj. bearing the figure of a white cross.
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society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > charge: device on shield > cross > [adjective]
crossed1494
croised1586
white-crossed1632
red-crossed1635
cruciferous1656
crucigerous1658
crossleted1801
1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. vii. 329 White cross'd.
1843 R. Browning Return of Druses in Bells & Pomegranates No. IV i Change this gay weed for the black white-crossed gown, And fight to death against the Infidel.
1972 J. O'Grady It's your Shout, Mate! 26 Two more pennies..came down, one showed a head, and the other rolled around the ring..and showed its white-crossed tail.
2012 Times (Nexis) 23 May 54 Four years ago..Federer brandished the famous white-crossed flag at the Beijing Games.
† white cud n. Obsolete mastic.
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eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. iv. 182 Wiþ heardum swile þæs magan..smerwunga wyrce of ele & of wermode & of hwitum cwidue & wine, beþe ðonne smire mid þy.
a1200 ( Laud Plant Gloss. 49 Mastica .i. hwittudo [read hwitcudo].
?a1200 (?OE) Peri Didaxeon (1896) 35 Ac ceowe hwytes cuduwys sæd [L. granum masticum]..ælce dæȝ.
?a1200 (?OE) Peri Didaxeon (1896) 45 Nim alewen and myrra and hwit cudu and æȝra hwit, meng eall togadere.
white devil n. now chiefly historical the devil disguised as a virtuous being; (hence more generally) a hypocrite, hypocrisy.In later use frequently with reference to John Webster's 1612 play The White Divel.
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1573 J. Shute tr. P. Viret Christian Instr. 456 He is neuer more perilous, than when he hath the greatest shew of well doing, for then it is that hee doth most dishonor god, and doth greatest hurt to men,..wherfore those whiche call this deuill that is so disguised, a white deuill, are not voyd of reason.
1654 J. Sherman White Salt 102 There is not such another creature in the world, as a Christian, if he be right: as there is not a worse creature in the world, if he be false. For then he is a white Devil.
1712 C. Owen Scene of Delusions Open'd vii. 87 The white Devil always makes his Appearance in the likeness of a Reformer.
1862 T. Adams Wks. II. 38 If hypocrisy there were justly called the white devil, apostasy here may as justly be termed the black saint.
1994 A. Drew-Bear Painted Faces on Renaissance Stage 56 Vittoria is the most pointed-at white devil in the play.
white-dominated adj. dominated by white people.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [adjective] > racist > dominated by white people
white-dominated1927
1927 Economist 9 Apr. 736/2 Is a white South Africa to mean a white-dominated South Africa, where a minority holds sway because of the absence of dark pigment in its skin?
1960 Economist 15 Oct. 215/2 Question marks now loom hugely over the future of the white-dominated states of southern Africa.
1981 Listener 31 Dec. 810/1 Blacks tend to regard journalists as part of the white-dominated, Establishment-prone media.
2005 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 4 Oct. e7 In a rebutting interview, Kimberle Crenshaw..says that such language is typical of the white-dominated news media.
white dominion n. (also with capital initials) now historical a dominion (dominion n. 2b) in which the majority of the inhabitants are white.
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society > authority > rule or government > territorial jurisdiction or areas subject to > [noun] > aggregate of sovereign states under one rule > Commonwealth or former British Empire > dominion or colony of > types of
palatinate1669
charter-colony1767
Crown colony1824
white dominion1881
1881 Economist 1 Jan. 3/1 An event likely to be followed by a general rising of the black races throughout the white dominion in Africa.
1923 G. L. Beer Afr. Questions at Paris Peace Conf. i. vii. 62 The self-governing white Dominions of the British Commonwealth refuse to admit Indian immigrants.
1966 Guardian 6 Sept. 8/4 Assuming that the crumbling process would continue, Britain would be left with the ‘white dominions’.
1993 N.Y. Times Mag. 18 Apr. 22/3 This British notion..that all territories would become independent when they were ready for it..had been put into force in its so-called White Dominions of South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
white dwarf n. Astronomy a small, faint, very dense star, usually but not necessarily white in colour, which lies below the main sequence and represents the stable phase assumed by stars which have less than 1.4 solar masses when their nuclear reactions cease.Not regarded as a true dwarf star: cf. quot. 1978 and dwarf n. 2c.
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the world > the universe > star > kind of star > small star > [noun] > white dwarf
white dwarf1922
1922 Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 34 357 The second star is classified as A0 in the Henry Draper Catalogue and in consideration of the proper motion and apparent magnitude it is probable that the star is a white dwarf.
1978 J. M. Pasachoff & M. L. Kutner University Astron. x. 283 Do not confuse the term ‘white dwarf’ with the term ‘dwarf’. The former refers to the dead hulks of stars.., while the latter refers to normal stars on the main sequence.
2010 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 23 Feb. d3/5 Accreting white dwarfs go off at a precisely determined mass known as the Chandrasekhar limit, but a pair of colliding dwarfs could have a range of masses.
white embroidery n. embroidery done in white thread on a white ground; = white work n.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > sewn or ornamented textile fabric > [noun] > embroidery or ornamental sewing > done with specific thread or yarn > white
white work1578
white embroidery1808
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > sewing or ornamenting textile fabric > [noun] > embroidery or ornamental sewing > done in white thread on white ground
white work1578
white embroidery1808
1808 Literary Panorama 3 366 Those works in point which were originally only imitations of white embroidery, have since become imitations of bone lace.
1876 ‘G. Eliot’ Daniel Deronda II. iv. xxix. 223 Gwendolen..held a piece of white embroidery which on examination would have shown many false stitches.
1931 A. K. Arthur Embroidery Bk. viii. 83 Bullion knots are frequently used in white embroidery.
1971 S. Levey Discov. Embroidery of 19th Cent. 9 White embroidery flourished throughout the century.
2000 Piecework Nov. 39/2 A variety of decorative details include broderie anglaise—white embroidery featuring punched holes that are oversewn to create eyelets.
White English n. the English characteristic of white speakers, frequently opposed to Black English n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
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the mind > language > languages of the world > Indo-Hittite > [noun] > Indo-European > Germanic > English > other varieties of English
French English1553
Black English1734
Rock English1843
South African English1855
Canadian English1857
Canadian1910
Bermudian English1933
Ozarkian1949
World English1957
Japlish1960
White English1969
Konglish1970
Singlish1984
World English-
1969 Language 45 599 Black English and White English are not dialects, although, to be sure, they have dialects or alternative forms characteristic of geographic areas.
1974 Newslet. Amer. Dial. Soc. Nov. 44 Intonation patterns of Black English were studied and compared with those occurring in White English and formal Black English.
2012 H. S. Alim & G. Smitherman Articulate while Black ii. 53 White America has long insisted on White English (not Chicano English, not Black English, not no other kind of English) as the price of admission into its economic and social mainstream.
white ensign n. the ensign of the Royal Navy, having a white field and now usually a St George cross with a union flag in the upper corner; see ensign n. 5.
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society > communication > indication > insignia > standard > [noun] > flag > naval or merchant
pavilion1572
blue flag1613
jack1633
white ensign1676
Red Ensign1720
Blue Ensign1745
red flag1757
red rag1809
Union Jack1832
duster1904
red duster1914
1676 C. Molloy De Jure Maritimo i. xiv. 130 When the Admirall would have the other Squadrons to make more saile, though himself shorten saile, a white Ensign was put on the Ensign staff of the Admirall's Ship.
1879 Queen's Reg. H.M. Naval Service 19 All Her Majesty's Ships of War in Commission shall bear a White Ensign.
1942 G. Hackforth-Jones One-One-One xv. 130 The duty signalman..bent the White Ensign on to the halliards of the Ensign staff.
2001 Navy News Sept. 47/3 (advt.) A contemporary design with White Ensigns cascading against a navy blue background.
White Father n. (a) (now chiefly historical) a white man regarded as protecting or controlling people of another race, esp. North American Indians (attested earliest in Great White Father n. at great adj., n., adv., and int. Compounds 1e; cf. red children n. at red adj. and n. Compounds 1f(c)(i)); (b) [after French Père Blanc (1881 or earlier in this sense)] a member of the Society of Missionaries of Africa, a Roman Catholic order founded in Algiers in 1868.
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society > authority > [noun] > those in authority > person in authority > white person over black
White Father1806
man1931
society > faith > worship > preaching > proselytization > mission > [noun] > one who conducts > collectively > member of
White Father1806
1806 Literary Mag. Jan. 78 Ye red men! since ye here have been, Your great white father ye have seen, Who cheer'd his children with his voice, And made their beating hearts rejoice.
1834 C. F. Hoffman Let. 1 Feb. in Winter in West (1835) I. 301 The unfortunate agent..was shot in the act of appealing to the Indians as their friend and ‘father’,—the reply being..‘We have no longer any white father.’
1889 R. F. Clarke Cardinal Lavigerie i. iv. 100 The White Fathers—a name given to the Algerian missioners on account of their wearing the long white robe of the Arab.
1894 Harper's Mag. Sept. 516/2 The White Father has sent me.
1915 J. Turner Let. July in C. Warren Somewhere in France (2019) 16 We went in..with one of the White Fathers of Uganda.
1969 Telegraph (Brisbane) 18 Sept. 2/2 The people we detest are the ‘White Fathers’—those who control our destiny.
1977 B. Lucas tr. C. De Foucauld Lett. from Desert vii. 130 Maison-Carrée, near Algiers, the mother-house of the White Fathers.
1992 A. W. Eckert Sorrow in our Heart i. 109 Chiksika and Blue Jacket..were away most of the time.., where Hokolesqua and the other chiefs were treating with the white father, Lord Dunmore.
2007 Independent 29 Sept. 48/3 He..entered the novitiate of the White Fathers (now called the Missionaries of Africa) in 1942 in Algiers.
† white-favoured adj. [ < white adj. + favoured adj.2] Obsolete wearing white favours (favour n. 7b).
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [adjective] > wearing parts of clothing
purfledc1400
weltedc1507
blue1600
buttoned1604
cockaded1713
epauletted1810
shoulder-knotted1812
plumigerous1827
white-favoured1847
buttony1848
scale-shouldered1849
pointed1904
whaleboned1908
ruffly1909
ruched1923
1847 London Pioneer 8 Apr. 803/3 Three gay carriages, with white-favoured coachmen and footmen.
1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam Epil. 207 The time draws on, And those white-favour'd horses wait. View more context for this quotation
1871 St. Paul's Mag. Feb. 486 Let the white horses pass with flashing wheels and white-favoured postillions.
white flesher n. North American (now rare) the ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus, which has pale flesh.
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the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Tetraonidae (grouse) > [noun] > genus Bonasa > bonasa umbellus (ruffled grouse)
partridge1578
pheasant1766
birch partridge1823
white flesher1827
ruffled grouse1850
willow grouse1850
pat1933
1827 D. Douglas Jrnl. 13 May (1914) 265 Mr. Stuart killed a male partridge..called by him White Flesher—different from the common ruffled grouse—too much destroyed for preserving.
1866 J. K. Lord Naturalist in Vancouver Island II. ii. 43 From September to Christmas the ‘white-flesher’ (for so he is named) is at his best.
2011 D. Bennet & T. Tiner Compl. Up North 97/2 Alias [of ruffed grouse]: Partridge, woods pheasant, birch partridge, pine hen.., long-tailed grouse, white flesher, wood grouse, [etc.].
white flight n. chiefly U.S. the migration of white people from inner-city areas (esp. those with a large non-white population) to the suburbs.
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society > inhabiting and dwelling > furnishing with inhabitants > migration > emigration > [noun] > migration of white people from inner city
white flight1956
1953 Manch. Guardian 19 Sept. 4/6 As Negroes began to move into this community [sc. Hyde Park-Kenwood, Chicago] a group of its inhabitants decided that for once the usual pattern should not be followed: that instead of a general white flight to the suburbs and the degeneration of the area into a slum there should be a harmonious inter-racial community.]
1956 Ann. Amer. Acad. Polit. & Soc. Sci. 304 95/2 The classic response to Negro migration into new residential areas has been white flight.
1975 Polit. Sci. Q. 110 675 White flight from cities has been a much discussed phenomenon in the last decade.
2006 Sunday Herald (Glasgow) 12 Nov. 21/1 A sharper indicator of ‘white flight’ is the make-up of schools, many of which are mainly now filled with Asian kids.
white flour n. refined flour of a white or light colour; spec. fine wheat flour, typically bleached, from which most of the bran and germ has been removed.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > flour > [noun] > white flour
white flourc1450
a1425 (a1399) Forme of Cury (BL Add.) 47 in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 108 Alye the fleissh with the mylke and white flour of rys.]
c1450 Practica Phisicalia John of Burgundy in H. Schöffler Mittelengl. Medizinlit. (1919) 236 (MED) Take þen wyte fluwur.
1687 G. L. Gentleman's New Jockey i. xxvi. 172 A roasted Onion, Garlick and Rue, bruised and made up into a Ball with white Flower.
1758 H. Glasse Art of Cookery (ed. 6) 360 To make Carraway Cakes. Take two Pounds of white Flour [etc.].
1867 Health Reformer Aug. 22/1 The whole flour, or Graham flour, contains three times as much nutriment of this kind as the fine white flour.
1946 A. Nelson Princ. Agric. Bot. viii. 228 The aleurone layer plus all the structures of the grain external to it constitute the ‘bran’ and are stripped off in the making of white flour.
2003 Sun 13 Mar. 47/4 Naan bread is made of white flour.
white-floured adj. whitened by flour.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > beautification of the person > beautification of the skin or complexion > [adjective] > powdered
powdered1613
pounced1619
farined1664
pulvilleda1704
bepowdered1742
pulvilized1791
pearl-powdered1826
white-floured1841
rice-powdered1868
talced1891
powder-dusted1917
talcumed1952
1841 Monthly Mag. Dec. 558 In the centre stood Signor Vigenzo, superintending the steps of a baker's man, who had indued his Sunday's coat over a white floured (not flowered) waistcoat.
1925 E. Sitwell Troy Park 21 I saw the white-floured zanies go.
1995 D. Lambdin H.M.S. Cockerel (2009) v. iii. 241 Maman was one of those long, horse-faced, stout-jawed ladies of the old school, who clung to pale face powders and white-floured wigs.
† whitefolding n. Obsolete white cloth of some kind (not identified), perhaps used for wrapping.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > other textile fabrics > [noun]
renciana1300
maidenhair1359
caryc1394
spinal1399
whitefolding1423
care1429
radevorec1430
queen's clothc1450
basselan1453
Brunswick1480
ragmas1480
haberjetc1503
redvorea1525
stockbridge1526
demigraine1540
fledge1542
pinned white1552
satin-reverses1554
beverneck1567
scamato1569
messellawny1604
brogetie1610
novato1614
fugeratta1638
barrateen1689
tamarine1691
masquerade1696
calandring1697
succatoon1703
russerine1710
stade1714
Chuckla1721
long ell1725
slay1745
vilderoy1769
succota1780
minorque1794
zebra1829
grising1866
Turkoman1881
cameline1886
lyocell1990
1423 in J. Raine Testamenta Eboracensia (1865) III. 71 (MED) Pro xij virgis de panno vocato whytefalddyng.
white folks n. (also white folk) chiefly U.S. colloquial (esp. as a description by a non-white person) white people.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > ethnicities > division of mankind by physical characteristics > white person > [noun] > poor white person > collectively
whitea1398
white folks1735
poor white1781
white trash1821
poor white trash1822
trailer trash1943
1735 S. Carolina Gaz. 15 Mar. 1/1 Whitefolks are as little fond of the Company of Molattoes.
1816 Port Folio June 462 John Cushen, an Indian of truth and respectability..observed to a gentleman that it was a great curiosity... It was made by white folks, for Indians never make forts or mounds.
1861 H. A. Jacobs Incidents Life Slave Girl (1973) viii. 45 I was often asked if I had seen any thing in the newspapers about white folks over in the big north, who were trying to get their freedom for them.
1929 W. Faulkner Sound & Fury 101 If it hadn't been for my grandfather, he'd have to work like whitefolks.
1973 Black World May 20/1 In his essays on whitefolk, Du Bois invokes two specific historical occurrences which reflect the paradoxes, lies and hypocrisy of white civilization.
2009 New Yorker 26 Jan. 77/1 Holding his mike like a billy club, he's a sort of street comedian..: ‘... Naw, I'm just playin' wit' chall. Most white folks ain't evil—they just stupid.’
white frost n. [compare Anglo-Norman and Middle French blanche gelée (13th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman, c1350 in continental French), Middle French, French gelée blanche (1552)] = hoar-frost n. 1; cf. black frost n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > cold weather > [noun] > freezing or frosty weather > frost > hoar frost
rimeeOE
frosteOE
rime frostOE
hoar-frostc1290
rain-frostc1300
white frostc1384
griddled frosta1400
hoar-rimec1550
hoar1567
rind1575
frost-dewa1626
cranreuchc1686
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Dan. iii. 68 Dewis and whijt frost [L. pruina], blesse ȝe to the Lord.
1563 W. Fulke Meteors iv. f. 54 Hoare frost or whight frost, is nothing els but dewe congeled by ouermuche colde.
1641 J. Montaine tr. P. Du Moulin Anat. Masse i. ii. 19 But in the Roman Church they sing Masses for the easing of sicke people, for preserving of the vines from a white frost, for the healing of a horse, &c.
1780 W. Fleming Jrnl 14 Mar. in N. D. Mereness Trav. Amer. Colonies (1916) 634 Monday night there was a smart white frost.
1835 J. Martin Descr. Virginia 66 Our white frost is generally harmless, it being simple dew slightly congealed.
1941 A. O. Pollard Bombers over Reich x. 140 White frost..on the astrohatch.
2001 L. Ulrich Age of Homespun vii. 271 She, knowing there had been several white frosts and that the acorns were falling fast, knew where to look.
white fuel n. (a) hydroelectric power, or the flowing water giving rise to this (cf. white coal n. 3) (now rare); (b) unleaded petrol.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > chemical fuel > [noun] > liquid
naphthec1384
naphtha1543
paraffin1851
kerosene1854
octylene1857
shale-oil1857
coal oil1859
gasoline1863
octane1867
octene1868
octyne1877
gas1878
liquid fuel1889
petrol1895
mazut1897
white fuel1901
diesel oil1905
autogas1908
juice1909
sauce1918
power kerosene1919
petroil1921
ethyl1923
lox1923
kero1930
isooctane1932
high-octane1933
hi-octane1933
Calor1936
pool petrol1939
super1939
pool1940
derv1948
platformate1949
mixture1952
diesel1953
Mapp gas1962
gasohol1971
super unleaded1975
synoil1976
synjet1979
biodiesel1986
Orimulsion1987
the world > matter > physics > energy or power of doing work > [noun] > source of energy or power > renewable > water as
white coal1885
white fuel1901
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electrical power, electricity > [noun] > generated by water
white coal1885
white fuel1901
hydroelectricity1904
hydro1916
hydropower1933
tidal2002
1901 Sci. Amer. Suppl. 2 Feb. 20989/2 The great amount of natural power at the disposal of the American manufacturers—the ‘white fuel’, as the great water falls are called—has..encouraged the invention and employment of the most ingenious machinery.
1928 Daily Tel. 27 Mar. 10/7 Italy has..greater advantages for the development of ‘white fuel’, for Egypt has but one single river.
1958 New Scientist 6 Feb. 19 When the catalyst is used with ‘white’ or unleaded fuel (as on motorised trucks for indoor use in factories) this difficulty does not arise.
2007 Derby Evening Tel. (Nexis) 20 Oct. 4 The fuel is intended for off-road use—but some motorists use it instead of ‘white fuel’ because tax rebates make it cheaper.
white gas n. chiefly North American a colourless, additive-free liquid fuel distilled from petroleum; esp. such fuel used in portable lamps and stoves (= Coleman fuel n. at Coleman n. 1).
ΚΠ
1928 Sunday Times-Signal (Zanesville, Ohio) 3 Feb. (Automobile section) The motorist who wishes to secure quality at the prevailing market price will find the Indian White gas an excellent power fuel.
1978 Field & Stream Aug. 76/2 Some operators supply both the white gas for camping appliances and even gasoline and oil for the outboards as part of the package price.
2001 J. Waterman Arctic Crossing i. 96 More hypothermically dumb than scared, I dump precious white gas onto a driftwood tangle.
white gasoline n. chiefly North American = white gas n.
ΚΠ
1921 D. Hager Oil-field Pract. 210 The product is now clear white gasoline.
1953 E. Risch Quartermaster Corps I. iv. 149 Stoves used by campers were too heavy and operated only on white gasoline.
2008 Central Plains (Manitoba) Herald-Leader 31 May 5/3 Grandad used to send Big Brother up to get a bottle of white gasoline for his cigarette lighter.
white ginger n. now rare ginger root from which the skin was removed prior to drying or preserving.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > additive > spice > [noun] > ginger
gingereOE
white ginger?c1425
racec1450
ginger spice1530
rance1570
zingiber?1720
Jamaica ginger1818
?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (Paris) (1971) 458 Take..of white gynger [L. zinziberis albi].
1652 R. Pemell Tractatus de Simplicium Medicamentorum Facultatibus i. sig. F3 Take of white Sugar-Candy, a dram, white Ginger two scruples, Camphor halfe a scruple; make them in powder, and give it in two or three ounces of Scabious-water, or Angelica-water.
1707 H. Sloane Voy. Islands I. p. lxix This white Ginger is easily spoil'd by Worms.
1913 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts 61 211/1 The white ginger in syrup is actually a yellow-brown in colour.
white guilt n. orig. U.S. remorse or shame felt by a white person with respect to racial inequality and injustice.Often associated with historical injustices perpetrated by white Europeans, such as slavery, imperialism, and the mistreatment of indigenous peoples.
ΚΠ
1947 New Leader 25 Oct. 11/1 It seemed to me then one of the few books..which considered the enormous role which white guilt and tension play in what has been most accurately called the American dilemma.
1978 Associated Press (Nexis) 10 Apr. The book..contends that it was black protest rather than white guilt that spurred much of the changes for blacks in the 1960s.
2019 @tdaddybrown 20 June in twitter.com (accessed 18 Mar. 2020) Your white guilt serves no purpose, why not step aside and let a POC take your place?
white hart silver n. now historical a fine or levy imposed as punishment for the killing of a white hart in Blackmore Vale in Dorset (see quot. 1658).
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > impost, due, or tax > payment or service to feudal superior > [noun] > other customary or feudal dues
land-cheapc848
manredlOE
horngeldc1170
tithing penny1192
averpenny1253
wattle-silver1263
faldfee?a1300
filstinga1300
horn-pennyc1320
common finea1325
wrongeld1340
yule-waitingc1380
lark silver1382
carriagec1400
week-silver1430
aida1475
average1489
castle-boon15..
winage1523
casualty?1529
fry money1530
casualityc1568
white hart silver1594
hornage1611
issues of homage1646
lef-silver1660
frith-silver1669
cert-money1670
aver-silver1847
socage1859
1594 W. Camden Brit. (ed. 4) 150 Ipsa prædia quæ illi tenuerunt ad hanc vsque diem quotannis mulctæ nomine pecuniam in fiscum regium persoluunt, quæ White hart Syluer..appellatur.
1658 E. Phillips New World Eng. Words at Blacklow Forrest Called The Forrest of Whitehart from a very beautifull Whitehart, which King Henry the third..taking great care to spare, was killed by T. de la Linde, which so incensed the King, that he set a perpetual Fine upon the Land, which at this day is called Whitehart silver.
1866 Macmillan's Mag. Nov. 76/1 His lands were laid under a perpetual fine of the white hart silver.
2008 Times (Nexis) 13 Feb. 16 Dorset has its own legend of White Hart silver..annually and in perpetuity paid into the Royal Exchequer by Sir John de la Lynde, as a punishment for hunting down and killing a white hart.
† white hawse n. (also white hass) [ < white adj. + hawse, Scots variant of halse n.1] Scottish Obsolete an oatmeal pudding stuffed in a sheep's gullet; = white pudding n. 1.
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the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > sausage > [noun] > types of sausage
franchemyle1381
herbelade?c1390
haggisc1400
black puddinga1450
blood puddingc1450
bloodinga1500
liveringa1500
haggis pudding1545
white pudding1578
swine's pudding1579
hog's pudding1583
Bolognian sausage1596
bloodling1598
andouille1605
andouillet1611
cervelat1613
mortadella1613
polony1654
blacking1674
hacking1674
whiting1674
Oxford sausagec1700
saucisson1772
German sausage1773
saveloy1784
blood sausage1799
white hawse1819
liver sausage1820
black pot1825
chipolata1830
Bologna sausage1833
butifarra1836
mettwurst1836
Cambridge sausage1840
boudin1845
chorizo1846
German1847
liverwurst1852
salami1852
station-Jack1853
leberwurst1855
wurst1855
blutwurst1856
bag of mystery1864
Vienna sausage1865
summer sausage1874
wienerwurst1875
mealy pudding1880
whitepot1880
wiener1880
erbswurst1885
pepperoni1888
mystery bag1889
red-hot1890
weenie1891
hot dog1892
frankfurter1894
sav?1894
Coney Island1895
coney1902
garlic sausage1905
boloney1907
kishke1907
drisheen1910
bratwurst1911
banger1919
cocktail sausage1927
boerewors1930
soy sausage1933
thuringer1933
frank1936
fish sausage1937
knackwurst1939
foot-long1941
starver1941
soya sausage1943
soysage1943
soya link1944
brat1949
Vienna1952
kielbasa1953
Coney dog1954
tube steak1963
Weisswurst1963
Cumberland sausage1966
merguez1966
tripe sausage1966
schinkenwurst1967
boerie1981
'nduja1996
1819 W. Scott Bride of Lammermoor xi, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. I. 309 There is black pudding and white-hass—try whilk ye like best.
1824 J. Mactaggart Sc. Gallovidian Encycl. White Hawse, a favourite pudding.
white-hearted adj. (a) faint-hearted, timid, cowardly (cf. sense A. 4 and white-livered adj.); (b) pure-hearted, saintly (cf. sense A. 7).
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the mind > emotion > fear > cowardice or pusillanimity > [adjective]
arghc885
heartlessOE
bloodlessc1225
coward1297
faintc1300
nesha1382
comfortless1387
pusillanimousa1425
faint-heartedc1440
unheartyc1440
cowardous1480
hen-hearteda1529
cowardish1530
feigningc1540
white-livered1546
cowardly1551
faceless1567
pusillanime1570
liver-hearted1571
cowish1579
cowardise1582
coward-like1587
faint-heart1590
courageless1593
sheep-like1596
white-hearted1598
milky1602
milk-livered1608
undaring1611
lily-livereda1616
yarrow1616
flightful1626
chicken-hearted1629
poltroon1649
cow-hearted1660
whey-blooded1675
unbravea1681
nimble-heeled1719
dunghill1775
shrimp-hearted1796
chicken-livered1804
white-feathered1816
pluckless1821
chicken-spirited1822
milk-blooded1822
cowardy1836
yellow1856
yellow-livered1857
putty-hearted1872
uncourageous1878
chicken1883
piker1901
yellow-bellied1907
manso1932
scaredy-cat1933
chickenshit1940
cold-footed1944
society > morality > virtue > purity > [adjective] > pure in heart
white-hearted1865
1598 R. Tofte tr. M. M. Boiardo Orlando Inamorato ii. sig. F3v White hearted liuered Knights, base cowardes more.
a1617 P. Baynes Comm. Ephes. (1643) i. 8 Such white-hearted Christians, who are ashamed of their Master.
1797 S. J. Pratt Family Secrets III. xxi. 211 By the soothing attentions of Dennison, father Arthur, and his good little ‘white-hearted blackamoor,’ as he used to call him, in the course of the evening they recovered a more considerable portion of their tranquility.
1865 E. Burritt Walk to Land's End 407 If the painter were a devout, white-hearted man.
1915 Z. Grey Lone Star Ranger v. 51 To give up like a white-hearted coward, to let himself be handcuffed and jailed.
2009 Newsweek (Nexis) 23 Mar. She has not turned her back on the democratic values of the Orange Revolution. But she has dropped the now-toxic brand, no longer calling herself an Orange politician, describing herself instead as ‘white-hearted’ to emphasize her anti-corruption platform.
white hen n. (in phrases as a white hen's chick (also chicken), the son of a white hen) a fortunate person or thing; a favourite child; cf. senses A. 9 and A. 10. [After classical Latin gallīnae fīlius albae (Juvenal Satires 13. 141)] .
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the world > action or operation > prosperity > [noun] > good fortune > fortunate person or thing > fortunate person
Sunday daughtera1350
white hen1540
fortunateling1605
fortunate1615
lucky dog1682
Sunday child1800
tin-back1899
1540 J. Palsgrave tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus ii. iii. sig. Lijv May not I..be estemed the sonne of a whyte henne [L. albae filius gallinae] .i. maye not men..thinke, that I was borne in a good howre.
1631 B. Jonson New Inne i. iii. 100 All..are not sonnes o' the white Hen.
1716 Poor Robin A 6 Money is a Chick of the white Hen, he that hath it, hath Fortune by the forelock.
1936 C. Sandburg People, Yes liii. 124 The son of the white hen brings luck.
1974 W. Leeds Herefordshire Speech 105 White hen's chicken, a mother's favourite.
White Highlander n. now historical an inhabitant of the White Highlands in western Kenya; cf. White Highlands n.
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the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Africa > native or inhabitant of East Africa > [noun] > countries or regions
Mozambiquer1803
Muganda1863
Zanzibari1882
Rwanda1889
Tonga1891
Ugandan1893
Eritrean1902
Tanganyikan1906
White Highlander1921
Rwandan1926
Kenyan1930
assimilado1953
Rwandese1955
Malawian1963
Tanzanian1964
Malawi1966
Mozambican1971
1921 Times of India 26 July 14 These ‘White Highlanders’ are unwilling themselves to provide the revenue necessary for the country's upkeep.
1953 V. Bartlett Struggle for Afr. xvii. 186 The White Highlanders have some justification for pride in their contribution to the development of their new country.
1997 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 31 Jan. 23 Nairobi was first a railhead and then a commercial centre and then the social hub of the White Highlanders and finally the capital of the new Crown Colony.
White Highlands n. now historical an area in western Kenya formerly (1904–59) reserved for Europeans.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Africa > [noun] > East Africa > Kenya
White Highlands1921
1921 Times of India 26 July 14 While these settlers talk glibly of ‘White Highlands’ and the segregation of Indians, they do not object to living in very close quarters with natives who act as domestic servants, cook food, and do all the manual work of the farms.
1957 W. M. Hailey Afr. Surv. (rev. ed.) xi. 719 The reservation of the White Highlands for Europeans prevented the process of expansion by which the more populous tribes would normally have found relief from congestion.
1991 T. Pakenham Scramble for Afr. xxxviii. 677 The British settlers had reserved exclusively for themselves the best farmland, the cool, green ‘White Highlands’ on the railway to Uganda.
white hole n. [compare earlier black hole n.] Astronomy a (hypothetical) singularity (singularity n. 9e) that ejects matter and energy, behaving in a manner opposite to that of a black hole.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > star > kind of star > white hole > [noun]
white hole1971
1971 Nature Physical Sci. 3 May 20/1 Black holes..are related in a genitive manner to ‘white holes’, defined to be singularities from which matter and energy emerge.
1983 New Scientist 24 Feb. 517/2 On the largest scale, the Universe itself, expanding from the Big Bang, may also be looked upon as a white hole erupting from a singularity.
1991 C. A. Ronan Nat. Hist. Universe 186 (caption) One mouth of the wormhole would be a black hole, into which matter and energy are drawn, while the other would be a white hole, a hypothetical entity from which matter and energy would pour out.
2012 New Astron. 17 73 So far, no astronomical source has been successfully tagged a white hole.
white honey n. (a) honey that flows from the comb spontaneously without pressure (now rare); (b) honey that is colourless or very pale in colour.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > additive > sweetener > honey > [noun] > virgin or liquid honey
honey-teareOE
life-honey?a1450
white honeya1450
virgin's honey1611
virgin honeya1665
a1450 in T. Austin Two 15th-cent. Cookery-bks. (1888) 29 (MED) Do þer-to hwyte Hony or Sugre.
1558 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli Secretes Alexis of Piemount iii. f. 65 Make one bedde or ranke of the pieces of melons, & another of the spices: than take fine white hony, and poure it vpon them in the saide vessell.
1608 E. Topsell Hist. Serpents 72 In some places, as in Pontus, and in the Cittie of Amisus, Bees make white hony, without any combes at all, but this is sildome seene.
1763 R. Brookes New Syst. Nat. Hist. IV. xviii. 340 These [honey-combs] they break soon after they are made, and lay them upon hurdles or mats of osier, or on linnen cloth,..and then an excellent white honey will fall from the combs.
1861 Amer. Agriculturist July 196/3 Boxes not quite full of white honey are worth more in market than if filled out with that from buckwheat.
2000 A. Dalby Dangerous Tastes 130 A thousand jars of white honey.
† white hood n. Obsolete a regent member of the senate of the University of Cambridge, distinguished from a non-regent by wearing a white hood; cf. black hood n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
ΘΚΠ
society > education > educational administration > university administration > [noun] > governing body > member(s) of > in specific universities
white hood1714
black hood1763
1714 J. Byrom Let. 8 July in Private Jrnl. & Lit. Remains (1854) I. i. 26 We are to treat all our white-hoods, or Masters of Arts of two or three years' standing.
1764 Ann. Reg., Chron. 58 [Cambridge] There appeared among the black-hoods..placet, 103... Among the white hoods the proctors accounts differed.
1833 J. Gorton Topogr. Dict. I. 355/1 Below these, are the seats for the regents, or white-hoods; and still lower, for the non-regents, or black-hoods.
1854 Bury & Norwich Post 17 May Of the proposals for establishing four new methods of graduating in the University..the Senate adopted that relating to the Classical Tripos, by a majority of 14 to 18 black hoods and 29 to 25 white hoods, but rejected the other three.
white-horsed adj. (a) having or driving a white horse or horses; (b) bearing the figure of a white horse.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > insignia > standard > [adjective] > attributes of standard, banner, or flag
swallow-tailed1697
white-horsed1765
tricoloured1795
tricolour1815
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > driving or operating a vehicle > [adjective] > driving white horse(s)
white-horsed1765
1765 R. Bentley Patriotism (ed. 2) v. 60 The white-hors'd Saint, revers'd his fight, For, sad! the furious Dragon slays the Knight.
1832 J. Bree St. Herbert's Isle 5 War..her white-horsed banner furls.
1872 C. S. Calverley Fly Leaves 1 The hour when white-horsed Day Chases Night her mares away.
1984 J. Frame Envoy from Mirror City (1987) i. 13 The years of cowboy films, of white-horsed fairhaired ‘goodies’, and dark-skinned dark-horsed and hatted ‘baddies’.
2003 Washington Times (Nexis) 15 May m14 Surrounded by white-horsed British Indian cavalry and Coldstream Guards in black bearskin hats.
white hunter n. a hunter who is white, spec. a white person who hunts big game professionally.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunter > hunter of specific animal > [noun] > of big game
white hunter1775
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 300 The white hunter's absence was the first and chief subject of their discourse, till evening.
1859 New Amer. Cycl. VII. 83/2 A few white hunters like Gordon Camming would soon exterminate this noble animal [sc. the African elephant].
1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo ii. 18 At Meru, Runton, the white hunter, and I lived a month, capturing a small group of gnu.
1945 N. Mitford Pursuit of Love xi. 90 She's happy now, isn't she, with her white hunter?
1964 D. Varaday Gara-Yaka xiv. 124 Two white hunters lay in wait, and each shot one of the pride.
1999 New Yorker 2 Feb. 13/2 The firm's Manhattan outpost is run by Peter Horn, a former Great White Hunter who can regale you with tales of how he once brought down the damnably elusive bongo and sipped yak's-blood tea.
2010 J. Kirk Kingdom under Glass 317 After an hour or so of listening to the lion's growls of pain Eastman's hired white hunter, Philip Percival, picked up his gun and stepped toward the lair.
white jazz n. jazz played by white musicians.In quot. 1931 the title of a piece of music.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > jazz > [noun] > types of
rooty-toot1852
soul music1920
Chicago1923
gutbucket1925
symphonic jazz1926
Dixieland1927
jive1928
white jazz1931
Harlem1934
jump1937
New Orleans1938
free jazz1941
progressive jazz1944
bebop1945
gypsy swing1945
modern jazz1946
bop1948
new jazz1949
cool1952
Afro-jazz1954
funk1954
gypsy jazz1955
trad jazz1955
trad1956
whorehouse music1956
new thing1962
fusion1965
1931 Mich. Alumnus 21 Mar. 433/1 ‘White Jazz’ and ‘Black Jazz’, two pieces written by members of the Casa Loma band, were formally introduced at the Frolic.
1946 R. Blesh Shining Trumpets i. 23 No heterophony in white jazz except a chaotic sort in Chicago-style jazz.
1976 J. Berendt Jazz Bk. 11 There seem to have been white bands almost from the start. ‘Papa’ Jack Laine led bands in New Orleans from 1891. He is known as the ‘father’ of white jazz.
2013 Irish Times (Nexis) 13 July (Weekend) 10 A strummer rather than a picker, he favoured the open-faced Chicago style of Eddie Condon—white jazz, ‘happy music’, he called it.
white joint n. a joint in brickwork or in a tiled surface which is filled with white or light-coloured mortar, grout, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > disposition of stones or bricks > [noun] > types of joint
tenon and mortise1610
mortise and tenon1631
meeting1663
rustic1728
white joint1758
ground-joint1793
flat joint1825
hick-joint1842
perpend1867
struck joint1876
tuck-joint1879
1758 Universal Mag. Oct. 207/2 These tiles..not only seem rough, coarse, and heavy, but the mortar, when they are laid in the best manner, is very plainly seen in irregular white joints and seams.
1882 W. J. Christy Pract. Treat. Joints 32 White Joint.—One formed with ordinary mortar as distinguished from blue mortar. Or it is made by pointing with white putty.
1987 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 3 Jan. 49 To fill the surface of the joint with a mortar coloured to match the brickwork and then simulate very fine raised white joints called tuck pointing.
2008 C. Binggeli Materials Interior Environments iii. 71 For white joints, white sand, ground limestone, or ground marble with white portland cement and lime is used.
† white joke n. Obsolete the name of a dance.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > other dances > [noun]
dance of Macabre?c1430
springc1450
lege de moya1529
bobc1550
lusty gallant1569
duret1613
fading1613
huckler1617
ground-measure1621
entry1631
slatter de pouchc1640
ballo1651
Irish trot1651
omnium gatheruma1652
clutterdepouch1652
upspring1654
passacaglia1659
shuffle1659
passacaille1667
flip-flap1676
chaconne1685
charmer1702
Cheshire-round1706
Louvre1729
stick dance1730
white joke1730
baby dance1744
Nancy Dawson1766
fricassee1775
bumpkin1785
Totentanz1789
Flora('s) dance1790
goombay1790
egg-dance1801
supper dance1820
Congo dance1823
slip-jig1829
bran-dance1833
roly-poly1833
Congo1835
mazy1841
furry1848
bull-dance1855
stampede1856
double-shuffling1859
frog dance1863
hokee-pokee1873
plait dance1876
slow dancing1884
snake dance1895
beast dance1900
soft-shoe1900
cakewalk1902
floral dance1911
snake dance1911
apache dance1912
grizzly bear1912
jazz dance1917
jazz dancing1917
jazz1919
wine-dance1920
camel-walk1921
furry dance1928
snake-dance1931
pas d'action1936
trance dancing1956
touch dance1965
hokey-cokey1966
moonwalk1969
moonwalking1983
Crip Walk1989
mapantsula1990
1730 Tunbrigialia 31 While the White Joke she danc'd, Fair Chloe warm'd; Her Fig-Leaf Apron dropt, O how she charm'd!
1736 H. Fielding Tumble-down Dick 13 Tho' all the earth was one continual Smoke, 'Twou'd not prevent my Dancing the White Joke.
1859 J. T. Gilbert Hist. Dublin III. iii. 189 A Dublin actor, named Cummins, executed the ‘white joke dance’, as an old woman, with ‘Pierrot’ in a basket.
white-knuckle adj. colloquial (originally North American) (esp. of air travel or a fairground ride) causing fear or suspense of such intensity that one's knuckles whiten in an anxious grip; (of a person) experiencing or showing such fear; (also) of or relating to such fear.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > fear > physical symptoms of fear > [adjective] > having white knuckles
white-knuckled1872
white-knuckle1968
the mind > emotion > fear > quality of inspiring fear > [adjective] > of fairground ride
white-knuckle1968
society > leisure > entertainment > place of amusement or entertainment > fairground or amusement park > [adjective] > fairground ride
white-knuckle1968
1968 Washington Post 15 Aug. e1/2 She belongs ‘to the white knuckle club as far as flying's concerned’.
1976 Business Week 26 July 119/2 A less extreme, cheaper, and yet often effective course for the ‘white knuckle’ passenger is to join a fairly new type of therapy group devoted to taking the fear out of flying.
1985 Times 7 June 27/6 Wonderworld would eschew the ‘white knuckle’ rides but there would be thrills in another mode.
1992 Caravan Mag. Sept. 36/3 It has the usual array of rides, offering..the white-knuckle thrills of the Rattlesnake roller-coaster and the Tempest, in which passengers are suspended upside down.
2006 S. Lyle To Fairway Born (2007) xv. 277 It took Nigel less than a lap to assume complete mastery of the Porsche... Thanks, Nigel, that was one white-knuckle, brown-trousered ride I will never forget.
white-knuckle v. colloquial (originally North American) transitive (also occasionally intransitive) (a) to succeed at (something) in a way characterized by tension or apprehension; (also) to endure (an event or experience) which provokes fear, suspense, or anxiety; frequently in to white-knuckle it; (b) to grip (something) so tightly through fear or tension that one's knuckles whiten.
ΚΠ
1974 Port Neches (Texas) Midcounty Chron. 27 Mar. 8/1 After white-knuckling past Beaumont High..Nederland unloaded on the Chiefs for 12 big hits, to post an impressive 13-3 win.
1974 Daily Chron. (Centralia, Washington) 21 May 8/2 Marv McKenzie got the starting call Friday night and..his stint was typical of the way Centralia has white-knuckled the entire season.
1977 L. Thomas So Long until Tomorrow v. 181 That would have women screaming in the theater and men white-knuckling the arms of their seats.
1982 Washington Post 27 Feb. a15/1 I know the feeling of getting behind the wheel at 7 a.m. and white-knuckling it to school on icy roads.
1993 J. M. Yates Line Screw viii. 130 He was white-knuckling his chair so that he could launch himself if need be into the middle of what he supposed would be a hellish fray.
2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 6 Mar. b6/4 He's forced to ‘white knuckle’ his way through anxieties that many now escape pharmaceutically.
white-knuckled adj. having white knuckles; (in extended use) tense from barely contained emotion, esp. fear or suspense; designating fear, etc., of this kind (cf. white-knuckle adj.).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > fear > physical symptoms of fear > [adjective] > having white knuckles
white-knuckled1872
white-knuckle1968
the world > life > the body > structural parts > bone or bones > bones of hand or foot > bones of hand > [adjective] > bone at finger-joint
knuckly1870
white-knuckled1872
knucklesome1919
1872 St. Pauls Mag. Nov. 580 The driver..sent his vehicle reeling and bumping—his passengers holding on to their seats with white-knuckled hands.
1929 D. Ling Old Buddha xxxviii. 285 Boxers..were..gripping bayoneted rifles in white knuckled hands.
1973 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 8 Sept. 8/6 He meets local editors, goes on talk shows, flies white-knuckled in bumpy bush planes.
1989 Daily Tel. 16 Sept. 8/2 A white-knuckled sailor in a fat rented boat, who shrieks orders at his wife as she nips ashore with the bow rope.
2009 Atlantic Monthly Sept. 17/1 Low-budget horror doesn't aim for white-knuckled fear so much as a kind of grisly camp.
white-knuckler n. colloquial (originally and chiefly North American) (a) an event or experience provoking extreme fear, suspense, or anxiety; a very frightening or suspenseful book, film, etc.; (b) a person with an extreme fear of something (esp. flying); a tense or anxious person.
ΚΠ
1968 Wisconsin State Jrnl. 28 May ii. 1/3 Nelson's flight was a ‘white knuckler’ all the way, with low visibility requiring instrument flying most of the time.
1972 K. K. Cox & B. M. Enis Marketing Res. Process vii. 233 An individual who will not admit that he is afraid of flying may characterize a neighbor..as a real ‘white-knuckler.’
1999 Publishers Weekly 2 Aug. 68/2 It's a white-knuckler of a read—but it's not for the claustrophobic.
2005 M. Simon Body Scissors 28 Once a white-knuckler until his first drink at noon, Miles now had to drink in the morning to quiet his shakes.
2014 K. Turner Start your own Import/Export Business xi. 202 If you're not familiar with sales, you may find this portion of the program a white-knuckler.
white leach n. Cookery (now historical) a jelly made with ingredients such as almonds, cream, etc., which give it a white colour; see leach n.1 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > preserve > [noun] > other preserves
rob?a1425
white leachc1450
chare de wardon?a1500
pignolate?1543
angel hair1843
marron glacé1871
c1450 Brut (Egerton) 447 (MED) A leyche called ‘whyte leyche’.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie L 153 White Leach, gelatina amygdalorum.
1608 Closet for Ladies & Gentlewomen 33 (heading) To make white leach of creame.
1728 E. Smith Compl. Housewife (ed. 2) 149 To make white Leach.
1855 Househ. Words 3 Feb. 21/2 You are to have stork and crane and heron and peacock with his tail on, and larks and dowcets (custard), and pampuff (pancakes?) and white leach—which we leave to our readers to interpret into modern English—amber-jelly, and then curlews and snites, alias snipes.
1973 C. A. Wilson Food & Drink in Brit. v. 168 White leach (and sometimes coloured leach made from similar recipes) was a favourite dish for the Tudor and Stuart banquet and it retained its popularity into the eighteenth century.
2007 K. Colquhoun Taste (2008) viii. 109 Where expense was not an issue, ‘white leach’ was made by boiling new milk with Russian isinglass..sugar and sometimes rosewater.
white leather n. see whitleather n. 1a.
white-leaved adj. having white or pale leaves; (in early use also) †having white petals (cf. leaf n.1 2) (obsolete).
ΚΠ
1587 T. Newton tr. L. Lemnius Herbal for Bible xlv. 221 The small white leaued Rose called Eglantine, Hep or Brierbush, whose leaues be small and sweete smelling.
1822 S. Clarke Hortus Anglicus II. 465 Chinese White-leaved Nettle.
2005 Wildlife Biol. 11 154/2 Open scrublands, mainly made up of white-leaved rockrose Cistus albidus, common box Buxus sempervirens and prickly juniper Juniperus oxycedrus, represent 10% of the study area.
white letter n. [ < white adj. + letter n.1 2b] Typography (now historical) ordinary or roman type, as opposed to the more ornate black letter n.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > types, blocks, or plates > relating to type > style of type > [noun] > type face or font > Roman
Roman1548
white letter1687
antiqua1829
old style1884
1687 E. Millington Catal. Eng. Bks. C. Mearne's 1 Common Prayer..small paper white letter.
c1700 S. Pepys in H. E. Rollins Pepysian Garl. (1922) Pref. p. vii The Form..of the Black Letter with Picturs, seems (for cheapness sake) wholly laid aside, for that of the White Letter without Pictures.
1717 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1902) VI. 95 It is printing..in the white Letter, contrary to Mr. Urry's mind, who was resolved upon the black Letter and would not hear of the white.
1879 W. Chappell Roxburghe Ballads II. 450 Two of the copies were issued by Whitwood.., one by Norris in white letter.
2013 A. Fox in K. D. Murphy & S. O'Driscoll Stud. in Ephemera i. v. 123 Metropolitan printers of this generation were beginning to adopt white letter, or roman type, for much of their cheapest output.
white level n. the signal level corresponding to the maximum brightness on a television screen, computer monitor, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > broadcasting > television > visual element > [noun] > signals, types, or parts of
picture frequency1926
picture signal1927
black level1935
line frequency1936
pedestal1937
line scan1938
picture black1938
white level1938
porch1941
test signal1945
spot wobble1950
luminance1953
1938 Brit. Patent 484,202 2/2 The synchronising impulses are thus reversed into the grey or white levels of the transmitted subject and the maximum potential applied to grid 36 is that potential corresponding to minimum vision modulation i.e. the black level.
1953 S. W. Amos & D. C. Birkinshaw Television Engin. I. i. 17 White level may be positive or negative with respect to black level.
2009 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 11 June b8 You can maximize the image's whites using the contrast control. The trick is to adjust the set to get the best white level while still maintaining detail in the whites.
white lightning n. slang (originally U.S.) (a) inferior or illicitly distilled whisky; (b) a kind of LSD.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > an intoxicating drug > [noun] > hallucinogenic drug > LSD
white lightning1907
lysergic acid diethylamide1944
LSD1950
lysergic acid1952
acid1965
lysergide1965
purple haze1967
purple1968
Strawberry Fields1971
the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > whisky > [noun] > illicit whisky
poteen1809
mountain dew1816
poteen whiskey1816
white whisky1822
pine-top1858
white mule1880
wild-cat whisky1881
brush whisky1885
wild cat1887
white lightning1907
1907 N.Y. Times 21 Oct. 4/2 An armed posse rode up Glassy Mount, carried off several kegs of the illicit ‘white lightning’, burned the still, and galloped out of the dangerous territory back into the town at full speed.
1940 C. McCullers Heart is Lonely Hunter ii. iv. 119 He had a pint of bootleg white lightning.
1969 Times 9 Dec. (Taiwan Suppl.) p. ii/3 The distillery's main product is kaoliang, a potent liquor made out of Quemoy-grown sorghum and known as White Lightning.
1972 Village Voice (N.Y.) 1 June 77/3 Ellen..unfolded some tinfoil which she said contained three tabs of Owsley's original ‘white lightning’, the Mouton-Rothschild of LSD.
1999 J. Fiorito Closer we are to Dying xv. 173 But he could run a still, there were plenty of fruit trees on the farm, and he made white lightning like no one else could.
2006 A. Summers One Train Later vi. 89 The night before we have again taken off into the inner realm..with a substantial dose of something called white lightning.
white light n. now historical and English regional a white candle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > artificial light > an artificial light > candle > [noun] > collectively
chandelewa1475
white light1516
candlelight?1523
chandlery-
1516 in T. Percy Regulations & Establishm. Houshold Fifth Earl of Northumberland (1768) 280 Expences..as to saye in Breade Wyne Beyr Ale Beif Multounes Catoure-Parcellis Wax White-Lights Spices Salte Otemeal Sawses Fewell [etc.].
a1558 in I. W. Archer et al. Relig., Politics, & Society in 16th-cent. Eng. (2003) 18 Foure gentilmen usshers..have alwaie a chamber within the courte allowed to them and their lyvery unto their chambre of bredd, ale, wyne, wex, white lightes and fewell and cariage.
1610 in Coll. Ordinances Royal Househ. (1790) 335 Halfe a pounde of white lightes..per diem.
1887 J. E. T. Rogers Hist. Agric. & Prices (2011) V. xiii. 382 Sometimes I find white lights, a name which seems to indicate that the ordinary candle was not only coarse but of a bad colour, for white lights are dearer than others.
1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. 342/2 White-light, a wax candle, as opposed to the yellowness of tallow or beeswax.
1999 R. B. Graves Lighting Shakespearean Stage vii. 160 White lights were used less often and were rather small. Their name derived from the bleached tallow used in their manufacture.
white list n. [after blacklist n.] colloquial a list of people or things considered acceptable.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > quality of being approvable or acceptable > [noun] > list of approvable people or things
codex1819
white list1842
1842 Christian Remembrancer Nov. 463 In the black list of Ludovicus Vives were ‘Amadis de Gaul’, ‘Torante the White’, ‘Lancelot de Lac’, ‘Paris et Vienne’..cards, dice, and gay dresses. In the white list were Cyprian, Jerome, Augustine, and Ambrose, Plato, Cicero, Seneca's maxims and tragedies..and portions of Horace.
1900 G. B. Shaw Let. 31 Aug. (1972) II. 182 The Labor Leader's ‘white list’ is the final stroke—the white flag held up to Liberalism at the moment when we are on the verge of victory over it.
1939 Country Life 11 Feb. p. xxi/1 (advt.) Furs.—Avoid those tortured to death. Buy only those named on the Fur Crusade White List.
1977 Lancet 30 Apr. 963/1 One idea is a ‘white list’ of preferred drugs or a list of excluded drugs for which the N.H.S. would not expect to pay.
2006 Daily Tel. 6 Feb. (Business section) b2/4 AOL and Yahoo already operate ‘white lists’ for companies that agree to conditions before sending mail but the new service goes further.
white-list v. transitive to enter on a white list.
ΚΠ
1890 Washington Post 18 Jan. 4/3 To be ‘white listed’ indicates..that an investigating committee of intelligent women have agreed that he pay women in his employ decent living wages.
1954 W. L. McNaughton & J. Lazar Industr. Relations & Govt. xiii. 257 It has black-listed and white-listed candidates for Congress and urged more businessmen to get into public office.
2003 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 5 Apr. (Computers section) 6 Content filtering usually works by black-listing known banned sites and white-listing safe sites.
white-locked adj. †(a) having locks of fair hair (obsolete); (b) having locks of white hair.
ΚΠ
OE Riddle 80 4 Cwen mec hwilum hwitloccedu hond on legeð, eorles dohtor.
1777 T. Swift Gamblers 37 Thus white-lock'd Paris from th'unequal fray The Queen of Beauty snatch'd in clouds away.
1824 C. Sprague Shakespeare's Ode xii. 6 Behold yon crownless King—Yon whitelocked, weeping Sire.
1922 H. Walpole Cathedral ii. ix. 283 Appleford the butler..was an old friend of his—an aged, white-locked man, but dignity itself.
2008 C. Nahmad Angel Healing iv. 85 Saturn..is ancient, white locked Father Time.
† white-looked adj. Obsolete rare having a white or pale look or aspect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > skin > complexion > paleness > [adjective]
blatec1000
whiteOE
greena1275
blakec1275
bleykea1300
wana1300
palec1330
bleach1340
pale and wan (wan and pale)c1374
colourlessc1380
deadlyc1385
deadc1386
bloodlessc1450
earthlyc1460
ruddylessc1460
wan visaged?a1513
wanny1555
as pale or white as a clout1557
bleak1566
mealy1566
pale-faced1570
ghastly1574
white-faced1577
bleakish1581
pallid1590
whiggish1590
tallow-faced1592
maid-pale1597
lily1600
whey-colour1602
lew1611
roseless1611
Hippocratical1615
cadaverousa1661
Hippocratic1681
smock-faced1684
white-looked1690
livid1728
as white (or pale) as a sheet1752
squalid1753
deathly1791
etiolated1791
light-skinned1802
suety1803
shilpit1813
blanched1828
tallowy1830
suet-faced1834
pasty1836
tallowish1838
whey-faced1847
pasty-faced1848
aghast1850
waxen1853
complexionless1863
light-skin1877
lily-cheeked1877
lardy1879
wan-faced1881
exsanguinous1889
wheatish1950
1690 London Gaz. No. 2596/4 He is a short thin-faced white-look'd Man.
1744 Coll. Poems Several Hands 48 A gen'ral horror seizes on the fair, While white-look'd cowards only not despair.
† white-loose n. Obsolete rare an unsound condition of metal characterized by the presence of a white powder.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > steel > [noun] > unsound parts of steel
white-loose1857
1857 J. Scoffern et al. Useful Metals & their Alloys 344 Parts which were unsound, occasioned, apparently, by a white powder embedded in the steel: to distinguish this from the effects of imperfect welding, it was called white-loose.
whitemail v. [after blackmail v.] rare to seize or appropriate (a thing), or apply moral pressure to (a person) for a good cause.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > taking possession > take possession of [verb (transitive)] > appropriate > for a good purpose
whitemail1861
1861 C. Reade Cloister & Hearth lii He spent much of his gains..in..choice drugs, and would have so invested them all, but Margaret white-mailed a part.
1994 Irish Times (Nexis) 30 May 2 Ordinary schools were being ‘whitemailed’ into enrolling pupils with special needs without being given the necessary resources and support services, he said.
white magic n. [compare French magie blanche (1630)] magic which has a benign or harmless intent, or which does not involve the invocation of evil spirits; also in extended use; cf. black magic n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).See also white paternoster n. at paternoster n. 2a, and white witch n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [noun] > white or natural magic
natural magicc1425
theurgy1569
white magic1614
1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World i. xi. §6. 209 There is also another art.., which they call Theurgia, or White Magicke; a pretended conference with good Spirits or Angels, whom by sacrifice and inuocation they draw out of Heauen, and Communicate withall.
1718 F. Hutchinson Hist. Ess. conc. Witchcraft ii. 26 A Teacher of the White Magic, that pretends to deal only with Good Angels.
1855 Harper's Mag. Sept. 539/1 Having been thrust by some species of white magic known only to Milly, through an interminable perspective of loops, it was solemnly re-pinned to the chair.
1910 R. M. Lawrence Primitive Psycho-therapy & Quackery iv. 45 The use of curative spells and characts comes within the province of white magic.
2008 Times 25 Jan. 100/1 Sven-Göran Eriksson has been linked to an Italian faith healer, exorcist and ‘practitioner of white magic’.
white mark n. Archery (chiefly figurative, now rare) = sense B. 13b(a).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > [noun] > intention or purpose > end, purpose, or object > goal or target
markc1275
lodestarc1374
aimc1400
mete1402
pricka1450
butta1522
level1525
white marka1533
goal1540
Jack-a-Lent1553
blankc1557
scope1562
period1590
upshot1591
bird1592
golden goal1597
nick1602
quarry1615
North Star1639
huba1657
fair game1690
endgame1938
target1942
cockshot1995
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1537) f. 160v Thou were set as a whyte marke [Sp. te pusiste por blanco].
1603 J. Davies Microcosmos Pref. 1 Thou blessed Ile, white Marke for Envies aime.
1697 J. Lead Fountain of Gardens II. 371 It is well worth our looking into this Mystery, and making our aim at this White Mark: that will bring to us so considerable a Prize.
1756 Answer to Pamphl. 3rd Let. People of Eng. 37 A choice Quintain, in whose White Mark he wantonly may lodge the sharpest Arrows of his envenomed Malice.
1969 J. Lane Young & Lonely King 81 He..had been present when Charles split the peg which affixed the white mark to the centre of the target, a superb feat of archery.
white market n. [after black market n.] authorized dealing in commodities that are rationed or of which the supply is otherwise restricted.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > [noun] > authorized trading
fair trade1700
white market1943
1943 New Yorker 25 Dec. 36/2 Britons buying legally and mournfully on the white market.
1973 Times 28 Dec. 1/4 A feature of the system would be a ‘white market’ in which unused coupons could be sold freely or bartered.
1996 Independent 2 Apr. 11/1 There is a fluctuation between the white market and the black market.
white mass n. (a) a religious or mystical ceremony which is considered benign (sometimes opposed to black mass n. 1); (b) (chiefly Roman Catholic Church) a religious service or assembly of a congregation held in the absence of a priest; (also occasionally) the first mass celebrated by a newly ordained priest. [With sense (a), compare French messe blanche benign parody of a mass (1823 or earlier in this sense; rare).
In sense ‘religious service held in the absence of a priest’, after French messe blanche (1905 or earlier in this sense), probably a specific semantic development of messe blanche dry mass (1812 or earlier in this sense: see dry mass n. at dry adj. and adv. Compounds 3).]
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > worship > sacrament > communion > mass > kinds of mass > [noun] > first of young priest
white mass1893
1893 Nation 2 Feb. 84/3 He resorted to a sort of benevolent parody of the Christian sacrifice—a sort of White Mass, as one might call it, in contradistinction to the Black Mass of the Kabalists.
1895 Atlantic Monthly Mar. 333 His white mass,—the first mass of a young priest.
1918 Amer. Catholic Q. Rev. Oct. 666 Here when a priest dare not show himself the congregation assembled and had a ‘White Mass’ (une Messe Blanche).
1998 New Yorker 10 Aug. 68/2 ‘Parsifal’ is a White Mass, a ceremony of purification.
2002 V. Rosier Liturg. Catechesis of Sunday Celebrations in Absence of Priest ii. 94 In..the second half of the twentieth century, the format for worship consisted of readings from scripture, song and prayer, and was sometimes called a ‘messe blanche’ or a ‘white mass’.
white meter n. (originally) a prepayment gas meter (now disused); (in later use) an electricity meter that registers off-peak consumption; (more fully white meter tariff) an energy tariff which provides low-cost electricity during a specified off-peak period.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electrical power, electricity > distribution system > [noun] > board for switches or meters > types of meter
integrating meter1902
white meter?1910
?1910 Proc. 5th Ann. Meeting Nat. Commerc. Gas-Assoc. 1909 78 We put in some prepayment meters, which we termed the White meter.
1969 Financial Times 4 Feb. 8/2 A new two-part domestic electricity tariff—known in the industry as the White Meter Tariff—is a big talking point at this year's Electricity Councils' marketing conference.
1972 Times 2 Oct. 9/3 It is connected to a separate wiring circuit and an offpeak or white meter.
2008 Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent) (Nexis) 28 Oct. 28 Economy 7 (White Meter in Scotland): This is an electricity tariff most suitable for people who run appliances, such as storage heaters and hot water at night.
white minority n. a group of white people within a larger, non-white population; esp. such a group exercising political and social control over a non-white majority; in later use frequently attributive.Cf. minority rule n., minority government n. at minority n. and adj. Compounds.
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1820 Eclectic Rev. July 30 Would so long a time elapse before the white minority of the Northern Sea must seek the protection of their European neighbours against the black majority of the torrid zone?
1898 Nation 14 July 23/2 A..bill, under which the negro majorities in Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina..were to be assured by the federal Government the right to rule the white minorities.
1915 Eng. Hist. Rev. 30 753 It tells the story of the struggle of the black majority with the white minority for supremacy.
1970 N.Y. Times 26 Mar. 15/2 The white minority states of southern Africa.
2014 S. Dubow Apartheid ix. 266 No one could..doubt that the epoch of white minority power in South Africa was very nearly over.
white money n. (a) silver money, silver coins; cf. sense A. 2b (now historical); (b) (chiefly in India) money declared for tax purposes; (also) money obtained by legal means; cf. black money n. 2, 3. [With sense (a) compare Anglo-Norman blanche moneie (beginning of the 14th cent. or earlier).]
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society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > [noun] > (a) silver coin
silverc825
platea1275
whitea1393
white money1423
argentc1500
pringle1683
c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 4846 (MED) Muche was þe tresour þat þay founde þan, of gold & syluer & ryche stan & monaye whyt & blake.]
1423–4 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1423 §54. m. 30 For as muche as gret scarcite of whit money is wyth inne this land, because that silver is bought.
1567 T. Harman Caueat for Commen Cursetors (new ed.) sig. Ciiiv He plucked out, viii. s. in white mony.
1607 T. Middleton Phoenix sig. D Hee had so much grace before he died to turn his white mony into gold, a great ease to his Executor.
a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1664 (1955) III. 370 The fine new Milled Coyne both of White-mony & Ginnies.
1786 Elfrida II. 74 ‘Here my little fellow, what will you do with these two pieces of white money?’ holding out two half-crowns to him.
1820 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. May 158 My hand has nae been crossed with white money but ance these seven blessed days.
1896 M. Hornsby Old Time Echoes Tasmania 24 They began to clamour for 'bacca, white money, and so on.
1965 Times of India 7 July 6/4 Certain tax exemptions should also be considered for those who buy such bonds with ‘white’ money.
2012 D. K. Rangnekar Politics of Poverty xiii. 140 Today ‘black money’ is nearly as significant as white money, and is at the root of what may be called India's deplorable parallel economy.
White Moors n. derogatory (now historical) (a nickname for) the Genoese. [After Italian Mori bianchi, plural noun (a1617: see quot. 1617); compare Spanish moros blancos, plural noun (1599 or earlier).]
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the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Europe > the Italians > [noun] > native or inhabitant of Italy > other Italian towns
Genowayc1400
Neapolitanc1425
Venetian1432
milliner1449
Milanese1484
Genevois1521
Genoeses1553
Pisan1559
Ferrarese1573
Florentine1591
Paduana1592
Amalfitan1600
Bergamask1602
Genovese1603
Genoan1608
Salernitan1608
Patavine1611
Vicentine1611
White Moors1617
Perugian1620
Genoesian1624
Lucchese1660
Veronese1673
Modenese1711
Pavian1712
Sienese1756
Patavinian1771
Livornese1789
Bolognese1818
Torinese1864
Assisian1870
Triestine1905
Luccan1911
Padovan1953
Cassinese1957
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. ii. iii. 168 It is prouerbially said of this City; Montagne senza legni, Mar' senza pesci, huomini senza fede, donne senza vergogna, Mori bianchi, Genoa superba: That is, Mountaines without wood, Sea without fish, Men without faith, Weomen without shame, white Moores, Genoa the proud.
1642 J. Howell Instr. Forreine Travell viii. 102 As it is proverbially said, there are in Genoa, Mountaines without wood, Sea without fish, Women without shame, and Men without conscience, which makes them to be termed the white Moores.
1708 tr. M. Alemán Life Guzman d’Alfarache I. iii. v. 405 The Genoeses are reputed to be the most Cruel and most Covetous. This, some will tell you, is the Reason they have had the Name of White Moors given them.
1996 C. P. Kindleberger World Econ. Primacy v. 80 A host of factors contributing to Spanish economic decline in the period 1580 to 1620 has already been mentioned: inability to compete at sea; warrior temperament;..strong hatreds not only of the Jews and Moors but also of the Genoese, referred to as ‘White Moors’ [etc.].
white-mouthed adj. (a) having a white mouth, lips, or teeth; (b) having the mouth white with foam; foaming at the mouth.
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the world > matter > gas > gas or air in liquid or effervescence > [adjective] > full of or covered with foam or froth
foamyOE
foaminga1400
spumingc1400
frothy?1531
spurging1566
fretting1567
fuming1598
white-mouthed1598
frory1600
yeastya1616
frothed1616
frothing1628
lathering1630
mantling1633
sudding1633
spumeous1635
spewy1743
spooming1818
despumatious1819
yeastinga1821
creaming1825
spumous1854
frothsome1880
lathery1880
bubblesome1946
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > [adjective] > foaming at mouth
foaminga1400
white-mouthed1598
the world > animals > animal body > general parts > head and neck > [adjective] > having mouth white with foam
white-mouthed1598
the world > animals > animal body > markings or colourings > [adjective] > streaked or marked with white > having a white head > having a white face > having a white mouth or lip
white-mouthed1815
the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > phylum Mollusca > [adjective] > of parts of molluscs > of shell or parts of shell
testaceous1668
trivalvous1681
articulate1685
tabulous1734
concamerated1747
costated1751
ribbed1752
multivalve1753
umbilical1755
multivalved1759
trichite1765
right-handed1776
ventricose1777
unequivalved1788
sinistral1803
white-lipped1813
white-mouthed1815
turriculated1822
umbonial1824
turreted1826
siphunculated1828
columellar1829
sinistrorsal1830
canaliferous1834
spirivalve1835
turrited1835
versant1839
mitriform1843
paucispiral1843
turriculate1843
siphuncled1847
ventricous1850
camerated1851
convolute1851
perforated1851
parietal1854
septiferous1854
planorbiform1856
planorboid1856
trivalved1856
turrite1856
siphunculate1875
turriform1875
umbonic1877
costate1881
interlocular1888
varicated1891
lirate1894
evolute1896
1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Seauen Bks. Iliades vi. 103 His helmet fashioned of a hyde..With snowie tuskes of white-mouthde [Gk. ἀργιόδοντος] Bores, t'was armed round about Right cunningly.
1629 F. Quarles Argalus & Parthenia iii. 154 Whereat the angry Knight..forsooke His white-mouth'd Steed.
1771 T. James Hist. Herculean Straits II. iii. viii. 355 Dolium. The mulberry shell; the white-mouthed yellow dolium; the thin gondola shell.
1815 E. J. Burrow Elements Conchol. 200 Voluta Æthiopica, white-mouth'd Melon.
1939 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 1938 90 149 These are the white mouthed crevalles, remarkable for their conspicuous white tongue and adjacent region inside the mouth.
2007 Washington Times (Nexis) 5 Oct. a19 When children go missing, we work like white-mouthed mules to find them.
white mule n. [compare mule n.1 3c] U.S. slang a potent colourless alcoholic drink; spec. illicitly distilled whisky.Earliest in attributive use.
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the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > whisky > [noun] > illicit whisky
poteen1809
mountain dew1816
poteen whiskey1816
white whisky1822
pine-top1858
white mule1880
wild-cat whisky1881
brush whisky1885
wild cat1887
white lightning1907
1880 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 27 May W. S. Ingram, saloon and whiskies, was found by revenue officer Purnell to-day with a barrel of white-mule corn whisky, and no stamp on same.
1889 H. H. McConnell Five Years Cavalryman 60 About this time I first became acquainted with a..drink known as ‘pine-top’ or ‘white-mule’ whiskey.
1928 Collier's 29 Dec. 8/1 What do you think about a bunch of boys and girls..stealin' a keg of white mule from a dealer?
1929 Amer. Speech 4 440 Some names for intoxicants of various grades and potencies are:..white mule.
1942 W. Faulkner Go down, Moses & Other Stories 156 Gets himself a whole gallon of bust-skull white-mule whisky.
1973 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 23 Feb. 37/8 At other times..the stuff would..lash out with its hind hooves at the little old wine-maker like the white mule once so respected in the Ozarks.
2006 Chesapeake Life Feb. 106/3 Sterling was a duck hunter who had a shanty on Cedar Island, where he also made white mule.
white muscle disease n. a degenerative muscle disease of mammals, esp. ruminants, characterized by the pale appearance of striated muscle tissue, which is thought to be caused by a deficiency of selenium, vitamin E, or both.
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1929 Jrnl. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc. 74 727 Another stiff-lamb condition the etiology of which is not understood is that in which we find the white muscle lesions described by Metzger and Hagan in the Cornell Veterinarian for January, 1927.
1986 J. F. Gracey Meat Hygiene (ed. 8) xvii. 421/2 Lesions. Degenerative changes in muscles indicative of Zenker's necrosis and eventually total necrosis, the affected areas resembling those seen in so-called white muscle disease—pale whitish streaks.
2004 J. Emsley Vanity, Vitality, & Virility (2006) iii. 100 What also convinced them that there was something wrong was the incidence of white muscle disease in cattle, and the high incidence of heart disease and cancer among the general population.
white nationalism n. advocacy of or support for the primacy and dominance of the white population and its perceived culture, identity, etc., within a particular nation.Sometimes used with reference to the belief that non-white peoples should be separated within or excluded from a nation, or used interchangeably with white supremacy or white supremacism (cf. white supremacy n., white supremacism n.).
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1927 G. S. Schuyler in Pittsburgh Courier 11 June Agitation for everything Negro—the propaganda of black nationalism—tends to further develop counter-propaganda of white nationalism.
1960 Times 30 Apr. 6/4 He said that the conception of partnership on which the Federation [of Rhodesia and Nyasaland] was founded was in his opinion altogether superior to the idea of either black or white nationalism.
2014 H. D. Aidi Rebel Music viii. 180 The Tea Party movement..represented a resurgent white nationalism that was targeting Muslims.
white nationalist n. and adj. (a) n. an advocate or supporter of white nationalism; (b) adj. of or relating to white nationalism.
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1951 Observer 28 Jan. 7/3 Adamastor (a newspaperman from South Africa) reviles white nationalists... The political system by which a predominantly Afrikaner party is trying to establish its herrenvolk theories is open to serious criticism.
1954 N.Y. Times 8 Aug. 3/6 This consolidation and centralization of control of the Negro and Indian struggle against white Nationalist racialism in Communist hands is the result of a long and successful infiltration effort.
2007 N. G. Alexander-Floyd Gender, Race, & Nationalism in Contemp. Black Politics i. 45 The current white nationalist movement, centered in the conservative politics begun in the Reagan era, has resulted in ‘policy racism’, whereby Blacks have been refused family welfare, criminalized and institutionalized at increasing levels.
2012 M. W. Hughey White Bound 199 White nationalists might argue that policies such as affirmative action provide unfair preferential treatments that institutionalize racism against whites.
† white nose n. Obsolete (a) = white-nose monkey n. at Compounds 1g(a)(ii); (b) a small white-capped wave (rare).
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the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > wave > [noun] > crest
ridgeOE
white nose1771
feather1838
crest1864
sea-cap1867
comb1886
soup1962
peak1963
the world > animals > mammals > order Primates > suborder Anthropoidea (higher primates) > [noun] > group Catarrhinae (Old World monkey) > family Cercopithecidae > genus Cercopithecus > Cercopithecus nictitans (white-nosed monkey)
white nose1771
hocheur1840
1771 T. Pennant Synopsis Quadrupeds 120 Simia nictitans... White Noses.
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth IV. 234 The seventh [monkey] is the Moustoc, or White Nose.
1819 C. Kelly Universal Geogr. 424/2 There are various sorts of apes and monkeys, some of which are called bearded monkeys..others, called white noses.
1866 A. W. Crichton Naturalist's Ramble Orcades 110 Many a ‘white nose’ chequering the blueness of the more open water.
white note n. Music (a) a note with an open head, as a semibreve or minim (opposed to black note: see black adj. 7a(b)); (b) a note corresponding to a white key on a keyboard (cf. natural n.1 10a, black adj. 7b).
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society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > pitch > [noun] > natural
white note1597
natural1609
mean1675
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke Annot. sig. ¶4 If a white note (which they called black voide) happened amongste blacke full, it was diminished of halfe the value.
1677 R. Scamler Serm. preached at Great Yarmouth 2 Both which make our lives fitly compar'd to a Musick-book, where we shall seldom observe many white notes, but they art intermixed with black, and both together compose the sweetest harmony.
?1775 W. Waring tr. J.-J. Rousseau Dict. Music 309 The white notes show the full sounds, where each part may reach to an equal height and an equal descent.
1806 J. W. Callcott Musical Gram. iv. 46 The Rests of the white Notes are made in the middle of the Staff.
1959 D. Cooke Lang. Music ii. 44 The white-note scales on C (Ionian mode) and A (Aeolian mode) were already our C major and A minor scales.
1983 Listener 14 July 35/3 With its use of the traditional plainchant melody of the Psalm, its ‘white-note’ counter-melodies and harmonisations..it struck a fresh note after the highly-wrought complexity and chromaticism of most of Goehr's earlier works.
1999 Times (Nexis) 14 Jan. The link between the eye and ear starts with the very notation of music, its patterns of symbols and staves, black notes, white notes, rectangles, hairpins, half-circles with dots.
white nun n. [from the colour of the habit worn; compare post-classical Latin monialis alba (13th cent. in British sources)] a Cistercian nun; cf. white monk n.
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society > faith > church government > monasticism > religious order > Order of St. Benedict > [noun] > Cistercian > female
white nun?1518
?1518 Cocke Lorelles Bote sig. C.iij With a company dyde I mete As ermytes monkes and freres Chanons chartores and Inholders And many whyte nonnes with whyte vayles That was full wanton of theyr tayles.
1615 J. Sylvester Hymn of Almes 51 in 2nd Session Parl. Vertues Reall To Black-Friers, some white Nunnes to meet.
1779 Some Acct. Alien Priories I. 156 An abbey of White Nuns of the Cistertian order, founded A. D. 1150.
1877 J. Penderel-Brodhurst Guide to Boscobel v. 20 Whiteladies... The name is derived from the circumstance that the house was once a Priory of Cistercian or White Nuns.
1954 A. Seton Katherine xxxii. 536 Katherine..surveyed the two nuns... White nuns, Cistercians, shrouded in snowy wimples and habits.
2001 J. Burton in R. Horrox & S. Rees Jones Pragmatic Utopias ii. 26 The ‘white nuns’ of the Gilbertines and Cistercians.
white oakum n. now chiefly historical the woody fibres of new flax or hemp used as a caulking material; cf. oakum n.
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1649 Indenture 24 Dec. in Mariner's Mirror (1955) 41 51 (modernized text) White and black oakum, pitch, tar..and all other materials that shall be needful.
1685 N. Boteler Six Dialogues Sea-services iv. 185 It [sc. Oakam] is nothing else but old Ropes untwisted, and so pulled out as it were into loose Flax again; and when either Tow or Flax it self is thus employed, it is called white Oakam.
1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. White oakham, a sort of Tow or Flax to drive into the Seams of Ships.
1997 B. Morrow Giovanni's Gift iii. 233 Grass had grown up around its rough timber walls sealed with white oakum.
white pages n. originally and chiefly North American a telephone directory, or section of a telephone directory, containing the phone numbers and addresses of residents and businesses listed alphabetically, usually without any advertising copy; cf. Yellow Pages n. at yellow adj. and n. Compounds 2a.
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1927 Lock Haven (Pa.) Express 15 July 8/5 The Williamsport directory..has 184 white pages and the 31 pages in the classified or yellow section.]
1935 Oak Park (Illinois) Telephone Directory Dec. 274 The Yellow Pages are intended to make it easier for you to use your telephone... Instead of poring over long columns of ‘Smith’ in the white pages, you usually spot ‘Smith James R.’ at a glance under ‘Physicians’.
1986 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 29 May There are 1280 Nguyens listed in the new 1986 white pages, making the Vietnamese name 48th most common in Melbourne.
1997 J. Goad Redneck Manifesto (1998) i. 30 The man who tied the knot was the Reverend Walker Goad, whose name we found in the white pages.
2012 K. Raustiala & C. Sprigman Knockoff Econ. 162 The white pages are really just a database distributed on paper.
white-painter n. Canadian (now chiefly historical) a person (esp. a member of the middle class) who buys and (superficially) renovates housing in a run-down urban area; a gentrifier.
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1964 H. Bruce in Maclean's 18 Apr. 25/1 A whitepainter (statistically) is a man who has 2.3 children, an $18,000 mortgage on an old house downtown, and enough pastel paint to cover all the red brick that's left after he's knocked off the porch, hung the coach lamp and paved the lawn.
1987 Crossroads (Shoal Lake, Manitoba) 16 Sept. 2/1 This is a real coming area.., in a few years, prices will just skyrocket. The white-painters are just blocks away now.
1991 J. Garreau Edge City x. 445 Brick sniffers, renovators and gentrifiers. Also called White Painters.
2006 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 7 Apr. g1 The white-painters of the 1970s employed a quick, cosmetic brand of renovation when they flocked back downtown from the suburbs.
white park n. (also white park cattle) a rare old breed of British white long-horned cattle, with dark or red ears, nose, hooves, and teats (cf. point n.1 22e).
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1881 National Live-Stock Jrnl. Sept. 393/2 In the herds of white park cattle there is a tendency to drop calves with black spots, or even entirely black.
1946 R. B. Kelley Princ. & Methods Animal Breeding i. 2 These oxen, mated with Celtic Shorthorns, were progenitors of the White Park Cattle of England.
1989 S. G. Hall & J. Clutton-Brock 200 Years Brit. Farm Livestock ii. 19 There were three main types of indigenous Welsh cattle; the white park (feral) breeds, the red breeds with white or dark markings, and a black type with or without white.
2009 Independent 18 July (Mag.) 25/2 He..had fostered a long-term ambition to reconnect producers with consumers as well as working with rare breeds such as Dexter and White Park cattle.
white-piped adj. (of a tree, esp. an oak, or its wood) affected by any of several fungi causing concentric regions of rot, resulting in a striped appearance in the wood; (of rot) caused by such a fungus.
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1896 W. R. Fisher Schlich's Man. Forestry V. 74 The wood may often be penetrated by repeated decaying stripes, as in old oaks attacked by Stereum hirsutum (said to be white-piped.—Tr.).
1917 J. W. Harshberger Text-bk. Mycol. & Plant Pathol. xx. 222 In longitudinal section, white or yellow streaks are found, hence the common name white-piped, or yellow-piped oak.
1941 Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 68 198 Polyporus [= Inocutis] rheades (Pers.) Fries is a common fungus in California, causing a destructive white-piped rot of oak.
1959 Techn. Bull. U.S. Dept. Agric. No. 1189. 9 (caption) The incipient stage [of infection by Hydnum erinaceus] is usually a white piped or pocket rot.
white pitch n. [compare post-classical Latin pix alba (14th cent. in a British glossarial source)] pitch that is pale (often pale yellow) in colour, spec. that obtained from the Norway spruce, Picea abies; cf. Burgundy pitch n. at Burgundy n. Compounds.
ΚΠ
a1400 in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell Reliquiæ Antiquæ (1845) I. 53 (MED) Tak..wax, white pik, that this spicers calles pix album, and fresch swyne grees.
1576 G. Baker tr. C. Gesner Newe Jewell of Health iii. f. 144 Take of oyle Olyue two ounces, of whyte pytche one ounce.
a1654 N. Culpeper tr. J. Prevost Medicaments for Poor (1656) 115 Some make a Cerate of white Pitch only, which they cal Burgundy Pitch, which they hold for a secret and prefer it before Amoniacum.
1791 W. Nicholson tr. J. A. C. Chaptal Elements Chem. III. 73 White pitch, mixed with lamp black, forms black pitch.
1840 Amer. Jrnl. Pharmacy 12 130 The trade in white pitch, in spite of the restrictions placed upon it by the administration, is more general. It is derived from the A[bies] excelsa by the method which you have indicated.
1911 J. G. McIntosh Manuf. Varnishes (ed. 2) III. 66 Another white pitch is obtained in Russia from Abies pichta or Abies Sibirica.
2010 P. Kennerley & D. Pearson Reed & Bush Warblers 181/2 (note) Mummy-brown was a pigment made from the ground-up remains of Egyptian mummies, both human and feline, white pitch and Myrrh.
white pizza n. [after Italian pizza bianca (1877 or earlier)] U.S. pizza made without tomatoes or tomato products.
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1972 Fresno (Calif.) Bee 11 Feb. b2/3 The specialties of the house include..white pizza with oregano, onions, olives and mushrooms.
1993 Washingtonian June 89/1 ‘White pizza’—topped with nothing more than a mince of garlic, a sprinkling of oregano, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
2007 New Yorker 17 Sept. 15/2 A little boy wearing light-up sneakers, approached the shop counter, proffered some wadded bills, and emerged with a slice of white pizza.
white port n. port wine made from white grapes.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > wine > fortified wine, Madeira wine, and sack > [noun] > port > types of port
white port1691
blackstrap1763
Roriz1817
ruby port1817
tawny port1847
log-juice1854
Cockburn1859
black stripe1862
ruby1924
tawny1929
Taylor1940
1691 R. Ames Search after Claret i. viii. 3 Of Red and White-Port in their Vaults was no lack.
1723 J. Nott Cook's & Confectioner's Dict. sig. Pp7v Two Gallons of White-port Wine.
1892 J. Mew & J. Ashton Drinks of World 100 Of white Ports the best are Muscatel de Jesus, [etc.].
1920 G. Saintsbury Notes on Cellar-bk. vi. 88 White Port..I think nearly deserving of the curse above pronounced on sparkling claret.
1978 M. Walker Infiltrator xiii. 144 I was given a glass of white port.
2000 Holiday & Leisure Spring 116/2 Maybe a glass of white Port as an aperitif.
white post n. Papermaking a stack of handmade paper after it has been pressed and the interleaved felt, etc., has been removed; cf. post n.8 1.
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1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. III. 1773/2 A white post is the pile of paper sheets when the felts are removed.
1991 L. Arvin Scribes, Script & Bks. xii. 291 The ‘white post’, or stack of papers with no felts in between, was pressed again.
† white powder n. Obsolete a kind of gunpowder said to explode without noise.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > explosive material > [noun] > supposed
white powder1617
1617 J. Davies Wits Bedlam sig. H6 Snap-haunce speakes quicke & lowd; but stil amisse White powder then were best for him.
a1625 F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Honest Mans Fortune ii. ii, in Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Vuuuu/1 That you were kil'd with a Pistoll charg'd with white Powder.
1689 N. Lee Princess of Cleve ii. ii A Secret Lover's like a Gun charg'd with White Powder, does Execution but makes no noise.
1772 S. Whyte Shamrock 238 Chryses carrieth his Complaints to the young Lord Apollo, his Patron; who being an ingenious Chymist, had found out the Art of making White-Powder.
whiteprint n. a document printed in blue or black on a white ground, spec. one printed by a diazo process; cf. blueprint n. 1.
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society > communication > printing > printed matter > arrangement or appearance of printed matter > [noun] > matter printed in white
whiteprint1892
1892 Carpentry & Building Sept. 238/3 By placing a sheet of prepared paper upon this blue print used as a negative, our correspondent will secure a white print having blue lines.
1919 H. Leverage White Cipher 84 He memorized the details like a draughtsman reading a white-print.
2003 D. J. Cole et al. Encycl. Mod. Everyday Inventions 84 Another method, called diazotype, was introduced later with a similar exposure to light, but using other chemicals. It produces a positive or whiteprint.
white privilege n. the high status and accompanying rights and advantages accorded to white people in a society based on or characterized by racial inequality or oppression of non-white (esp. black) people; (now often) spec.: advantages deriving from, or taking the form of, freedom from prejudice or discrimination based on skin colour in a majority-white country.
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1921 Daily Tel. 4 Jan. 8/2 The black population..are no longer content with the policy of wholesale disenfranchisement..which has been so long pursued in the Southern States... The claim to white privilege is threatened, and a very serious problem looms ahead.
1963 Liberal Opinion (S. Afr.) Feb. 5/1 She and her fellow liberals have..set out to expose apartheid as the shabby attempt to entrench white privilege at the expense of non-white rights which at bottom it is.
2015 K. Green Something must be done about Prince Edward County vi. 92 Having friends of color, gay friends, and immigrant friends that faced various forms of discrimination opened my eyes to the ways I benefitted from white privilege.
white propaganda n. truthful propaganda; cf. black propaganda n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
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the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > [adjective] > of propaganda: truthful
white propaganda1947
1947 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 41 650 Concealed or ‘black propaganda’ (like rumor-spreading) did not concern the OWI, since all of its ‘white propaganda’ and information were clearly labelled as coming from this country.
1976 A. J. Russell Pour Hemlock xiv. 166 White propaganda, the truth; gray, a composition of half-truths and distortions; or black, a pack of lies.
2003 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 25 Sept. 8/4 As the cold war intensified, the white propaganda of the early years seems to have been increasingly supplemented with gray and black.
white racism n. belief in the superiority of white people, leading to prejudicial treatment of people of other races.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > race theory > belief in white supremacy
Anglo-Saxonism1844
manifest destiny1845
Saxonism1884
Nordicism1925
white chauvinism1928
white racism1943
1943 Chicago Defender 2 Oct. 4/1 Negro racism is, in my opinion, no better than white racism.
1970 Rep. 20th Ann. Meeting Linguistics & Lang. 221 Because such quasi-militants feel that Negro dialect is inherently ‘bad’ (as did conservative Negroes before them), they regard it as a product of white racism.
2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 17 Feb. (Week in Review section) 13/1 The emergent Strom Thurmond-patented Southern strategy of exploiting white racism for political gain.
white racist n. and adj. (a) n.a person who believes in the superiority of white people; (b) adj.of, relating to, or designating white racists or their beliefs or behaviour.
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society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [adjective] > racist > believing in white supremacy
white supremacist1942
white racist1944
verkramp1968
society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > race theory > belief in white supremacy > one who
Nordicist1927
white chauvinist1929
white racist1944
white suprematist1958
verkrampte1967
1944 Phylon 5 27 There are white racists who still deny the capable Negro his rights simply because he is a Negro.
1970 Rep. 20th Ann. Meeting Linguistics & Lang. 221 They see any attempt to describe and scientifically record Negro dialect as nothing more than a white-racist exploitation of Negroes.
1973 Black Panther 17 Mar. 6/3 No charges were pressed against any of the club-wielding, epithet-sputtering white racists clearly because the Navy felt that only ‘they’ (Blacks) had been in the wrong.
1977 M. Walker National Front 9 I despise nationalism, whether it be British, White Racist or Martian.
2004 H. Kennedy Just Law (2005) ix. 195 Members of Asian communities..were prosecuted for riot or affray when they took action against white racist groups.
white rag n. = white ragworm n. at Compounds 1g(a)(ii).
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1994 Angler's Mail 18 June 54/4 Mullet to 6 lb and sole at Folkestone pier. Pollack to maddies and white rag down wall.
2005 Sea Angler Mar. 144/2 All type of marine worms are used at this beach, including lugworms, ragworms, king rag and white rag.
White Rajah n. now historical any of the three Rajahs belonging to the English family of Brooke who ruled Sarawak between 1841 and 1941; also in extended use.
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society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > [noun] > Indian or Asian ruler > specific
White Rajah1843
1843 Morning Post 6 Dec. 3/6 After spending a few days at Court, his Majesty the King gave the ‘white Rajah’, as he was called, full permission to explore his domain.
1909 S. Baring-Gould & C. A. Bampfylde (title) A history of Sarawak under its two White Rajahs, 1839–1908.
1966 New Statesman 1 July 21/1 Her role is somewhere between a White Rajah and a VSO.
1974 Radio Times 19 Mar. 37/3 The story of the last White Rajah of Sarawak.
2012 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 Mar. (Business section) 8/5 In time, he became a kind of ‘white rajah’ in Saipan, championing the island's byzantine struggle for autonomy from the United States government.
white rent n. [probably a variant of quit-rent n., with reanalysis of the first element as white (compare forms in whit- at quit adj.)] now historical = quit-rent n.; spec. (in Devon and Cornwall) a rent or duty of eight pence a year payable by every tin miner to the Duke of Cornwall.The association with silver money found in some of the quotation evidence and in N.E.D. (which has as its definition ‘rent payable in silver money’, with cross-references to sense A. 2b and blackmail n. 2) is likely to reflect folk etymology.
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society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > hire or rent > rent (land or real property) > [noun] > paid in money
penny-rent1502
white rent1562
album1677
1562 All Statutes Stannary (new ed.) sig. Bv Euery person that so coyneth white tynne, shal pay..yerely at Myghelmas .viii. d. called white rente.
a1628 J. Doddridge Hist. Wales, Cornewall & Chester (1630) 99 White rent..is a dutie payable yeerely by euery Tynner in the County of Deuon,..that is, of euery Tynner 8.d.
1664 H. Spelman Glossarium Quietus redditus..Vulgo Quit rente, qui & alias White rente nuncupatur, quod in denariis & argento penditur.
1717 in J. C. Hodgson Northumbrian Documents (1918) 61 A white-rent of 13s. 6d. from two or three freeholds in Woodburne.
1862 Mining & Smelting Mag. 1 271 Annuity from Consolidated Fund in lieu of tin coinage dues, post groats, and white rents, £16,216 15s.
1996 M. Bush Pilgrimage of Grace viii. 315 Usually the amount for cornage included the white rent of £7.11.4 which has to be subtracted to obtain the actual income from noutgeld and sergeant corn.
white ribboner n. a person who wears a white ribbon as a symbol of temperance; a teetotaller.
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the world > food and drink > drink > thirst > abstention from drinking > [noun] > total abstinence > total abstainer
water-drinker1440
abstainerc1475
Rechabite1637
drink-watera1641
hydropotist1678
hydropot1727
teetotal1834
teetotaller1834
teetotalist1840
Washingtonian1842
Good Templar1853
teetotalleress1854
blue-ribbonist1858
nephalist1861
total abstainer1862
blue-ribbonite1867
totec1870
Templar1874
blue ribboner1878
total abstinent1882
water butt1882
white ribboner1886
non-drinker1910
pioneer1912
T.T.1922
1886 Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago) 17 July 15/1 She is a strong white ribboner.
1887 Voice (N.Y.) 15 Dec. 2/2 Brother Finch endeared himself to all White Ribboners.
1915 Nevada State Jrnl. 15 July 1/2 (headline) Mother of suffrage scores dry workers[;] ‘pussy wussy white ribboner sisters of virtue’ is term applied .
1974 Daily Tel. 3 July 17/7 The National British Women's Total Abstinence Union, which has 6,000 members, still issues a white ribbon bow in the form of a badge to its followers, who are known as the ‘white ribboners’.
1991 A. Blair More Tea at Miss Cranston's xix, in Miss Cranston's Omnibus (1998) 440 I was a Little White Ribboner of the British Women's Temperance Association.
white rice n. rice processed by removal of the hulls and polishing; cf. brown rice n. at brown adj. Compounds 2.
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the world > food and drink > food > corn, cereals, or grain > [noun] > rice > types of
white rice1614
rough rice1735
wild rice1748
Carolina rice1787
Patna rice1795
rough1837
basmati1845
small1882
palay1889
brown rice1916
arborio1951
1614 A. Spalding tr. G. Arthus Dialogues Eng. & Malaiane Langs. iii. 16/1 A measure of this white rice, milke and hony.
1822 T. Strangeways Sketch of Mosquito Shore 316 One hundred pounds of rice in the husk, usually yields from 75 to 80 pounds of white rice.
1959 A. A. Michel Kabul, Kunduz, & Helmand Valleys & National Econ. Afghanistan i. 41 As do Americans, most Afghans prefer the polished but less nourishing white rice to the brown.
2002 A. Clarke Polished Hoe (2003) i. 156 Huge pots of steamed white rice are cooked with green pigeon-peas.
† white rigged adj. (also whyt reged) Obsolete (esp. of cattle) white-backed; see rigged adj.2
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the world > animals > animal body > markings or colourings > [adjective] > streaked or marked with white > white-backed
white rigged1568
finch-backed1790
1568 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories N. Counties Eng. (1835) I. 293 One whyt reged cowe.
1789 in Belfast News Let. (Nexis) (2003) 8 Mar. 33 Reddish coloured cow, white rigged, the top of her tail white, wide between the horns with the far hind leg being white.
1820 G. Robertson Topogr. Descr. of Ayrshire 40 Some old people..recollect when the whole cattle were black, or black and white rigged, that is, with a white strip down their back.
white rod n. (a) = white staff n. 1; (b) Irish History a white staff used as a ceremonial symbol of a chief's or king's authority.
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society > authority > office > symbol of office or authority > [noun] > staff or rod > specific colour
white stick?a1425
white rod1523
white staff1533
green rod1721
Gold Stick1783
society > authority > office > holder of office > ceremonial officials > [noun] > usher > bearing a rod or staff > White Stick or Staff
white rod1523
white staff1601
white staff officer1669
staff officer1702
white stick1848
1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. f. lxiiiv The kyng lept on a hobby with a whyte rodde in his hand, one of his marshals on the one hande, and the other on the other hand: he rode fro reuke to reuke desyringe euery man to take hede that day to his right and honour.
?1530 J. Rastell Pastyme of People sig. *D.vv Thomas Percye erle of worcester stewarde of the kynges house contrary to his alegeaunce, brake his whyte rodde openly in the kynges hall.
1655 H. L'Estrange Reign King Charles 115 The huisher of the Black rod kneeling down to the Lord High Steward, presented him with a white rod, the staffe of his Office.
1682 P. Walsh Prospect State Ireland vi. 421 The place both of his Election or Inauguration or Investiture was Cill-mhic-Creunain; and the chief Officers at it were O Fiorghaill, who carried before him and solemnly put into his hand the White Rod, which was his Scepter.
a1707 G. Farquhar Beaux Stratagem 90 in Comedies (1728) White Rods are no Trifles, I'm sure, Whatever their Bearers may be.
1834 G. Bancroft Hist. U.S. I. x. 464 A chancery court and a court-leet, sergeants and white rods.
1842 Christian Lady's Mag. Mar. 233 The ceremony of the white rod at the coronation, was always observed until the coming of the English.
1926 E. Hull Hist. Ireland & her People i. 23 Some of the rites, such as that of handing to the newly elected chief a white rod as a symbol of the justice that ought to attend his rule, are of a solemn and suggestive character.
2000 A. Campbell Hist. Clan Campbell I. 250 Charles's descendant was Sir James Campbell of Inverneill, Hereditary Usher of the White Rod for Scotland, Member of Parliament for Stirling.
2005 D. H. Akenson Irish Hist. of Civilization I. i. 163 A white rod, emblematic of the purity of his [sc. Hugh O'Neill's] election and of the character of his future rule, is waved over his head. Then he sits on the throne and is given the white rod.
white room n. a room maintained to an especially high standard of cleanliness; spec. = clean room n. at clean adj. Additions.
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society > occupation and work > workplace > workshop > [noun] > workroom > clean and dust-free
white room1919
1919 Color Trade Jrnl. 5 145/1 No matter how clean the white room may be, the writer believes in having individual covers for each roll of cloth as an additional protection against unforeseen accidents.
1961 Aeroplane & Astronautics 101 684/1 In view of its development of special-purpose connectors—particularly in the micro~miniature field—a ‘white room’ is being fitted out so as to give the cleanest manufacturing conditions for this type of component.
2013 L. J. DiBerardinis et al. Guidelines Lab. Design (ed. 4) i. 46/2 The reverse-pressure relationship is required for germ-free and dust-free facilities such as operating room and white room (cleanroom) laboratories.
white rose n. a representation of a white rose used as the emblem of the House of York during the 15th-cent. Wars of the Roses (see rose n.1 6); (hence, with capital initials) the House of York itself; (later also) an emblem adopted by Jacobites in the 18th cent, and by sporting teams representing Yorkshire, esp. in cricket.
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society > communication > indication > insignia > [noun] > specific emblems, badges, or cognizances > of noble houses
ragged staff1397
red rose1415
rosea1460
white rosea1460
Stafford knot1552
white horse1814
society > authority > rule or government > politics > British politics > [noun] > adherent of House of York or Lancaster > emblem of
rosea1460
white rosea1460
society > communication > indication > insignia > [noun] > specific emblems, badges, or cognizances > political
yellow badge1663
white rose1716
red flag1806
red rag1871
Hakenkreuz1922
swastika1932
yellow star1941
society > authority > rule or government > politics > British politics > [noun] > Jacobitism > emblem of
white rose1716
a1460 in Archaeologia (1814) 17 226 (MED) Thes ben the Names of..the Bages that perteynyth to the Duke of Yorke..The Bages that he beryth by the Castle of Clyfford is a Whyte Roose.
a1561 G. Cavendish Metrical Visions (1980) 1408 Adewe my Sonne Edward, sprong of the Royall race, Of the wight roose and the rede.
1622 F. Bacon Hist. Raigne Henry VII 4 The People, who..had beene fully made capable of the clearnesse of the Title of the White-Rose or House of Yorke.
1716 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1901) V. 237 Divers were destroyed by the Georgian Party, only for having white Roses, a way by which..the Cavaliers distinguished themselves.
1887 F. M. Crawford Saracinesca i Men flocked to the standards of the White Rose of York.
1923 J. Buchan Midwinter (1924) 276 I turned Jacobite to please Claudie. There was no welcome..unless a man wore the white rose.
2005 F. Cheetham Eng. Medieval Alabasters (new ed.) 29/1 A number of the surviving St. John's heads housings have the Yorkist emblems of the white rose.
2007 Wisden Cricketer May 44/5 Ever proud of his county, he said plans to let non-Tykes wear the White Rose were: ‘A bloody disgrace. Anybody not born in this great county shouldn't be allowed to take the field for Yorkshire’.
white rum n. a colourless variety of rum.
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the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > rum > [noun] > kinds of rum
Jamaica1775
white rum1816
New England1827
black jack1863
dark rum1864
black rum1872
light rum1872
Nelson's blood1905
Bacardi1921
pinga1928
navy1946
screech1946
anejo1983
1816 Lancaster Gaz. 20 July Brandy and rum are sold at different degrees of strength; indeed, some termed white brandy and white rum, are highly rectified.
1881 E. W. White Cameos from Silver-land I. 40 Caña (White Rum).
1962 S. Wynter Hills of Hebron xvi. 198 With the money he bought bags of rice..and even a few bottles of white rum.
1972 Times 19 Aug. 10/1 White rum promises to be the spirit of the 1970s.
2009 I. Thomson Dead Yard i. 9 Another man was seated at the table, drinking white rum (‘the whites’, he called it).
white sale n. originally U.S. a department store sale, traditionally one held in the spring in which household linen is discounted.
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society > trade and finance > selling > a public sale > [noun] > disposal of goods at reduced price > of specific goods
white sale1894
1878 Iowa State Reporter (Waterloo) 3 July 5/2 (advt.) Remember! The Linen and White Goods Sale at Glover & Arther's on Tuesday, July 9, at 10 o'clock a.m.]
1894 Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer 2 Feb. 5/5 At 8 o'clock yesterday morning J. L. Hudson's furnishing goods departments were packed with eager buyers, being attracted there by the announcement of a 'White Sale'.
1899 North Amer. (Philadelphia) 19 Jan. 6/1 (heading) What the popular fashion authority has noticed in the new goods of the January ‘White Sales’.
1914 Photo-Era 33 168 (caption) A spring white-sale.
1923 Daily Mail 14 Feb. 5 (advt.) Are you letting this most wonderful of White Sales slip by without availing yourself of the..opportunities it affords?
2012 Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio) 7 Jan. These days, a white sale encompasses the myriad colors and patterns of bedding and linens, and the sales are often extended to other household items.
white-salted adj. designating a foodstuff which has been salted with white salt (see white salt at salt n.1 1b), or which has a white appearance as a result of salting; see also white-salted herring n. at herring n. 1b.
ΚΠ
1800 London Chron. 21 Aug. 187/1 To the four German ports on the North Sea..were brought about 87,000 barrels of white salted Herrings.
1853 Times 15 Sept. 9/4 Already large..exports have been made, not merely of red, but of white salted herrings, to Australia.
1972 Dublin Hist. Rec. 25 60 Some of these goods I could see down below on the tables beside the pic-nics and the white-salted bacon called ‘the lad’ and dangling overhead were the flitches of bacon and the dried ling fish.
1999 H. Corke & M. Bhattacharya in C. Y. W. Ang et al. Asian Foods iii. 65 Overall, dried white-salted noodles are the most popular noodles in China.
white sauce n. any of various sauces of a pale or white appearance; (now usually) a thick, pale-coloured sauce, often used as the basis of other sauces, typically made using a roux of butter and flour combined with milk or cream.
ΚΠ
1598 tr. G. de Rosselli Epulario sig. Fv To make all kind of sauce, and first of white sauce.
1723 J. Nott Cook's & Confectioner's Dict. sig. F5v Truffles and Asparagus Tops, dres'd with white Sauce.
1847 Berrow's Worcester Jrnl. 8 Apr. Boiled, and served, with a simple white sauce of milk, flour, and a little butter, the root is a dainty dish.
1981 M. C. Smith Gorky Park iii. 304 She'd brought cartons of spaghetti with meat, clam and white sauces.
2020 Herald (Scotland) (Nexis) 29 Mar. Make a basic white sauce using milk and equal quantities of flour and butter.
white saviour n. (used ironically or sarcastically) a white person who helps non-white (typically black) people, esp. for reasons viewed as ultimately self-serving, such as seeking recognition or assuaging guilt (cf. white guilt n.).Frequently as a modifier, as in white saviour complex, white saviour trope, etc.Also (and in earliest use) in great white saviour.
ΚΠ
1961 N.Y. Amsterdam News 27 May 12/5 I am also weary of Great White Saviors who prey upon Negro communities for self-glorification and elevation to higher positions.
1964 N.Y. Times Mag. 13 Dec. 29/2 There seems to be no end of white saviors prepared to tell the Negro what he most needs for salvation.
2012 S. Chi & E. M. Robinson Voices of Asian Amer. & Pacific Islander Experience 327 Within Asian American communities, there was significant criticism surrounding the depictions of Hmong men and the archetypal white savior trope that permeated the film.
2021 Athenaeum (Nexis) 14 Mar. 1 I have friends who've publicly exhibited their white saviour complex, posting pictures with non-white children in third-world countries in self-fulfilling attempts to seem benevolent and admirable.
white settler n. (a) a white person who settles in a non-white territory; (b) (Scottish, frequently depreciative) a person, typically one from an urban or affluent area of England, who buys a holiday home in the Highlands of Scotland; an incomer.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabitant > colonist or settler > [noun]
peopler1566
planter1587
plantator1632
colonist1658
populator1664
storer1690
settler1696
white settler1754
plantationite1756
colonizer1766
colonizationist1823
colon1860
homesteader1870
plantationer1888
1754 Scots Mag. July 347/1 The improvements in the distant parts of this island through which I passed, both as to the increase of sugar-works and white settlers, gave me the truest satisfaction.
1822 J. Neal Logan I. ii. 9 The swarthy and deep, in tinctured hue of the native American had yielded to the hearty brown of the sturdy white settler.
1937 K. Blixen Out of Afr. iv. 298 Kitosch was a young Native in the service of a young white settler of Molo.
1972 Guardian 1 Sept. 8/6 The ‘white settlers’ who buy croft houses for use as holiday homes.
1999 Daily Mail (Nexis) 14 Sept. 13 Were it not for the much despised 'white settlers' the Highlands would probably be in even more of an economic pickle than they are.
2010 Art Q. Summer 40/2 The idea of making pictures on small portable pieces of bark evolved only as a result of contact with white settlers and missionaries during the 20th century.
white sewing n. plain needlework; cf. white seam at seam n.1 9.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > sewing or ornamenting textile fabric > [noun] > sewing > plain sewing
plain worka1450
plain sewing1836
white sewing1922
1922 C. Orr Kate Curlew ii She learned white-sewing from an aunt.
1992 A. Romines Home Plot vii. 249 They are sitting in a parlor darkened against July sun, occupied with ‘white sewing’, their backs to the door.
white sheet n. now historical a sheet in which a person performing penance is clad; see sheet n.1 1c.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > artefacts > lay garments > items of attire > [noun] > penitential garment
hairec825
cilicec950
sackc1000
hauberkc1305
habergeonc1386
sackclotha1400
shirt of hair1527
shriving cloth1534
haircloth1548
sanbenito1568
white sheet1570
penitential robea1625
sack gown1693
samarra1731
hair-shirt1737
repentance-gown1896
society > faith > worship > sacrament > confession > penance > [noun] > garment of
hairec825
cilicec950
sackc1000
hauberkc1305
habergeonc1386
sackclotha1400
shirt of hair1527
shriving cloth1534
haircloth1548
sanbenito1568
white sheet1570
penitential robea1625
sack gown1693
samarra1731
hair-shirt1737
1570 J. Foxe Actes & Monumentes (rev. ed.) II. 1020/2 Certeine of the other prisoners, whiche were not condemned to death, were depriued of their goodes, commaunded in a white sheete to come to the Church, and there knelyng with a Taper in their hand, to aske forgeuenes.
1594 Zepheria xxxvi. sig. F2v Thy face being vayld, this pennance I award, Clad in white sheet thou stand in Paules Churchyard.
a1679 Earl of Orrery Mr. Anthony (1690) v. 48 He shall stand publickly in a White-Sheet by way of Pennance Seven days in Sequence, to Mortify the flames of Lust in the Spectators.
1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop xxxi. 272 I will write to the legislative authorities and have her put in the stocks, or compelled to do penance in a white sheet.
1901 J. Rhŷs Celtic Folklore I. v. 351 Old people still living remember men and women clad in white sheets doing penance publicly in the churches of Man.
1930 E. Easton Roger Williams vii. 32 In 1617, Lady Markham..stood in a white sheet (and was amerced in a penalty of a thousand pounds) for marrying one of her servants.
2000 S. W. Waddams Sexual Slander in 19th-cent. Eng. 262 That the white sheet was still in regular use in the Isle of Man appears from a case of 1823 where two men were charged with performing a mock ceremony in a public house involving a horse covered with a white sheet.
white-sick adj. now chiefly historical (in oyster farming) designating female-phase larviparous oysters in an early phase of brooding, when the mantle chamber contains newly fertilized eggs, which have the appearance of a whitish mass; cf. black-sick adj. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of fish > [adjective]
rope-sick1614
white-sick1667
fungusy1880
1667 T. Sprat Hist. Royal-Soc. 209 The Male-Oyster is black-sick..; the Female white-sick (as they term it) having a milky substance in the Fin.
1810 J. Thacher New Dispensatory 168 The female oyster, from a milky juice in its fin, is said to be white-sick.
1921 Nature 7 July 586/1 It seemed certain that an oyster ought to continue breeding [as a male] in the same season even after becoming white-sick.
2002 N. Milner Incremental Growth of European Oyster 70 When oysters are incubating eggs they are described as being ‘white-sick’..and this is an indication that they are not good to eat.
white-sighted adj. now rare (of an eye) adapted for seeing white.
ΚΠ
1909 E. B. Titchener Text-bk. Psychol. i. 75 The white is thus seen with a white-sighted eye, and the black with a black-sighted eye.
1946 Amer. Jrnl. Psychol. 59 109 Consequently we do not think it probable that the gray patch became dark enough to permit the retina to become 'white-sighted' and therefore require an increase in brightness to effect the match.
1952 J. P. Guilford Gen. Psychol. (ed. 2) ix. 235 After staring at blue we are yellow sighted, and anything following in the wake of the blue will be tinged with yellow. After red we are blue-green sighted; after black, white-sighted, and so on.
White Sister n. a nun belonging to an order which wears a white habit; (in later use) spec. a member of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, founded in 1869 to assist the White Fathers, or of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Ghost, founded in 1706 in Brittany.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > church government > monasticism > religious order > other religions > White Sister > [noun]
White Sister1608
1608 E. Grimeston tr. J. F. Le Petit Gen. Hist. Netherlands iii. 402 The Images in this sort being cast downe and broken in the great church, a great multitude of the youths..ran throughout the towne, to other churches, to do the like, as to the Franciscan friers,..the Fakens, the White sisters, the Blacke sisters.
1659 in J. Morris Troubles Catholic Forefathers (1872) (modernized text) 1st Ser. i. vi. 316 Seventy-two..were Nuns of the Choir, the rest White Sisters and Lay-sisters.
1890 E. H. Barker Wayfaring in France vi. 305 It was a White Sister kneeling and praying.
1908 Catholic Times 6 Mar. 11/2 We have in the Katanga many missions..and everywhere are White Fathers, religious women (White Sisters).
1957 G. D. Kittler White Fathers vii. 81 The answer, Lavigerie realized, would be in establishing the White Sisters.
2003 F. Fleming Sword & Cross xiii. 208 The White Sisters adored Foucauld even more... They fed him, mended his clothes..and taught him how to bake wafers for Mass.
white smoker n. Oceanography a deep-sea hydrothermal vent that ejects water rich in white particles consisting largely of baryte and silica; (also) a chimney or similar structure created at such a vent by the deposition of minerals; cf. black smoker n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > sea or ocean > region of sea or ocean > [noun] > sea bed > submarine hydrothermal vent
hydrothermal vent1975
black smoker1980
smoker1980
white smoker1980
1980 F. N. Spiess et al. in Science 28 Mar. 1425/1 Edifices atop the mounds are classed as either black or white, and those venting particulates are dubbed smokers.]
1980 F. N. Spiess et al. in Science 28 Mar. 1425/2 (caption) White smoker.
1999 S. Jones Almost like Whale xiii. 309 Other vents, ‘white smokers’, are surrounded by mats of bacteria.
2007 T. Friend Third Domain vi. 167 Spires are mineral deposits, remnants of geothermal chimneys similar to black and white smokers at ocean bottom vents.
white soap n. soap that is white or very pale in colour, frequently as the result of the use of simple ingredients or of additional purification during manufacture.
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c1425 tr. J. Arderne Treat. Fistula (Sloane 6) (1910) 76 Of which forseid [things] white sope may euer more be necessary to a leche.
1657 J. Howell Londinopolis 108 This City (in former time) was served of white Sope in hard Cakes (called Castle-Soap, and other) from beyond the Seas, and of gray Sope, speckled with white, very sweet and good, from Bristow..; and black Sope for an half-peny the pound.
1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 812 The finest white soap, grated small.
2011 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 5 Feb. (Property section) 3 Simple cakes of white soap are fresher and cheaper than expensive liquid soaps.
† white soil n. Obsolete (a) shallow chalky soil (cf. white land n. 2); (b) soil suitable for growing cereals (cf. white corn n. at Compounds 1g(b)(ii)); contrasted with green soil n. at green adj. and n.1 Compounds 1d(a).
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the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > land raising crops > [adjective] > land for white crops
white soila1722
a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husbandry (1757) 387 They [sc. thistles] issued out more freely and longer here than in the white soil.
1776 J. Marshall Travels 1770–1 IV. ii. 56 At a distance from the village..is a low swampy part; the soil a thin stratuuum [sic] of peat-earth on the white soil.
1794 D. Ure Gen. View Agric. Roxburgh 9 The soils under tillage, are commonly arranged into two kinds, namely, light and clayey. The former is called turnip, or green soil; and the latter, white soil, because it is best adapted for growing oats, wheat, and other white grains.
† white son n. Obsolete a beloved or favourite son; a boy or man who is specially favoured or indulged; cf. sense A. 9 and white hen n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > loved one > [noun] > state or condition of being a favourite > favourite or pet
darlingc888
favoura1387
dandilly?a1513
tidling1520
marmoset1523
white son1539
minion1566
favourite1582
white boyc1600
feddle1611
dautie1676
inclination1691
mother's pet1819
fair-haired boy1822
pet1825
white-haired boy1829
petsywetsy1847
blue-eyed boy1919
fave1938
1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes f. xlviij Who telleth the trouthe, is for moost parte hated, and he that can flatter and saye as I say, shalbe myne owne whyte sonne.
?1541 M. Coverdale Confut. Standish sig. lijv Maruaill not..though (whan I se you folowe your vnholy mother..) I call you..her owne whyte sonne.
a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. i. sig. A.iij Be his nowne white sonne.
1601 R. Yarington Two Lamentable Trag. iv. vi. G 4 b Young Allenso your white honnie sonne.
1616 T. Overbury et al. Characters in His Wife (9th impr.) sig. R7 The deuill calles him his white sonne.
1791 S. Dobson tr. Petrarch View Human Life 333 This happeneth unto many who thinketh himself nature's white son! or to be plainer, that they are beyond accident.
white-souled adj. morally or spiritually pure.
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1789 F. Burney Court Jrnls. & Lett. (2016) V. 447 As it proved—'twas the last visit of that very white-souled & amiable woman.
1874 J. G. Whittier Sumner in Mem. Charles Sumner 100 He never brought His conscience to the public mart; But lived himself the truth he taught, White-souled, clean-handed, pure of heart.
1902 G. W. E. Russell Londoner's Log-bk. iii. 40 Sir William Harcourt as the white-souled champion of spiritual religion.
1995 Tricycle Spring 24/1 The Brotherhood of the Gentle Eyes, the white-souled tranquil votaries of good, will support thee.
white soup n. soup having a white appearance or made with white stock.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > soup or pottage > [noun] > other soups
breec1000
mortressc1387
cretone?a1400
mortrelc1400
primrosea1450
water-kale?a1500
white broth?1537
plum broth1614
mutton broth1615
veal brotha1625
nettle-kale?c1625
China-broth1628
bisque1647
beer-broth1648
dilligrout1662
nativity broth1674
sowdyc1700
mandarin broth1701
white soup1708
soup-vermicell1724
soup-meagre1733
burgoo1743
sago-gruel1743
soup maigre1754
vermicelli soup1769
vermicelli1771
noodle soup1779
mock turtle soup1783
pepper-water1783
mulligatawny1784
powsowdie1787
macaroni soup1789
bird's nest soup1806
smiggins1825
garbure1829
pish-pash1834
laksa1846
sancocho1851
ajiaco1856
pepper soup1860
liquorice-soup1864
mock turtle1876
borsch1884
petite marmite1890
whey-brose1894
rassolnik1899
lokshen soup1900
menudo1904
hoosh1905
sinigang1912
waterzooi1915
Cullen Skink1916
swallow's nest soup1920
mizutaki1933
rasam1933
pasta fazool1935
pho1935
pasta fagioli1951
stracciatella1954
solyanka1958
tom yam1960
mannish water1968
pasta e fagioli1968
ribollita1968
tom yam kung1969
1708 H. Howard England's Newest Way Cookery (ed. 2) 33 (heading) White Soop.
1723 J. Nott Cook's & Confectioner's Dict. sig. L8v To make white Cullis... Use this with White Soops and Ragoos.
1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice I. xi. 123 As for the ball..as soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough I shall send round my cards. View more context for this quotation
1977 J. Aiken Five-minute Marriage vi. 95 Next week Mrs. Andrews really must start making white soup; and I must write..to Gunter's about the ices.
2009 E. Y. Lo Mastering Art of Chinese Cooking 206/1 This tribute to bean curd and the soybean is a familiar white soup in Shanghai restaurants.
white souring n. Manufacturing Technology souring (souring n. 3) carried out after chemicking; cf. grey souring n. at grey adj. and n. Compounds 1c(a).
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1918 Wages & Hours Labor in Cotton Goods Manufacturing & Finishing, 1916 (U.S. Bur. Labor Statistics) 212 It is again treated with an acid solution, in a process known as white souring, for the purpose of decomposing any bleaching powder that remains and to remove any calcium compounds.
1977 S. J. Arceivala in H. I. Shuval Water Renovation & Reuse x. 290 (table) First wash after white souring.
white space n. (a) Typography the blank areas of a page or other piece of printed matter, as margins, gutters between columns, etc., regarded collectively as an element of layout and design; (b) Computing (frequently as one word) blank space in electronic text produced by one or more keyed characters, as spaces, tabs, line-breaks, etc.; often attributive as whitespace character.
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society > communication > printing > printed matter > arrangement or appearance of printed matter > [noun] > blank space
vantage1683
fat1796
white space1888
printers' fat1898
society > computing and information technology > software > [noun] > applications program > word processing > character effects
white space1888
right justification1962
superscripting1970
overstrike1977
heading font2004
1888 Clothier & Furnisher Sept. 32/1 I make liberal use of white space about advertisements and above and below display lines.
1921 Printers' Ink 25 Aug. 96/2 Plenty of white space, two lines of italics and other letterpress..constitute the remaining features of this excellent piece of work.
1946 A. Monkman in H. Whetton Pract. Printing & Binding vii. 81/1 The layout man..requires for his work..the general plan, indicating type sizes and faces and allocations of white space.
1976 B. W. Kernighan & P. J. Plauger Software Tools ii. 59 Change all occurrences of ‘whitespace’ (blanks, tabs, and newlines) to just one newline.
2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 14 May 17/4 Page layout, font size and white space are all designed to enhance the text's visual qualities.
2014 R. Rostamian Programming Projects in C ii. ix. 66 There are other whitespace characters, although the common typewriter and computer keyboards don't have dedicated keys for them.
white spirit n. (a) purified alcohol, typically produced by repeated or continuous distillation, esp. when used in the production of alcoholic beverages (also in plural); (b) any of various clear, colourless alcoholic spirit drinks, as gin, vodka, white rum, etc.; (c) a volatile colourless liquid distilled from petroleum, used esp. as a solvent and paint thinner; also called mineral spirits.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > extracted or refined oil > [noun] > distilled or refined mineral oils
oil of amber1559
neftec1575
light oil1761
white oil1763
white spirit1832
eupione1838
gas oil1839
heavy oil1849
petroleum ether1851
asboline1863
hydrocarbon oil1864
solar oil1864
mineral spirits1875
blown oil1887
phenoloid1900
1832 Compl. Grocer 33 Take fourteen gallons of pure white spirits, which you can buy at the distillers, and thirty-two pounds of white Havana sugar.
1839 Mississippian 15 Nov. (advt.) Liquors! Just received on Consignment a variety of Liquors, viz: Peach & Cogniac Brandies, White Spirits, Sherry Wine, [etc.].
1891 Leicester Chron. & Leics. Mercury 7 Nov. 4/5 The young officer mixed a glass of white spirits—gin or Hollande—and I drank.
1902 Analyst 27 127 The adulteration of turpentine with light petroleum oil is now very prevalent in France, a special product being imported from America for the purpose under the name of ‘White Spirit’.
1959 A. C. Marshall et al. Waiter (ed. 2) xi. 74 Goldvasser (Danzig). White spirit, herbs and gold leaf.
1972 Times 27 Nov. (Wines & Spirits Suppl.) p. ii/2 Speaking in growth terms, white rum is an interesting product... Another white spirit, vodka,continues its sales increase.
1990 Social Anal. 27 28 Girls drink white wine or cocktails based on white spirits, such as vodka and orange or tequila slammers. Boys prefer whisky based drinks.
2008 W. Trevor in New Yorker 15 Dec. 76/3 They bought brushes as well as the paint, and white spirit because the man said they'd need it.
† white spur n. Obsolete (historical in later use) (the title of) a class of esquires who wear silvered spurs.
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society > society and the community > social class > nobility > rank > knight > squire > [noun] > who wore silver spurs
white spur1600
1600 W. Camden Britannia (new ed.) 140 Rex..armigeros creat collum torque S.S. vel sigmatico argenteo, & candidis, & argentatis calcaribus exornans, vnde hodiè in occidentalibus regni partibus vocantur Whitespurres ad discrimen Equitum auratorum qui auratis calcaribus vti solent.
1799 P. Yorke Royal Tribes Wales 10 He was an Esquire by creation, which was the fourth class of Esquires, called white spurs.
1867 Paroch. Hist. Cornwall I. 4 Formerly the lands of Winslade of Tregarrick, in Pelynt, an hereditary esquire of the white spur.
white squadron n. (also with capital initials) now historical one of the three squadrons into which the Royal Navy was formerly divided; also in admiral (also rear-admiral, vice-admiral) of the white squadron (cf. Admiral of the White at sense B. 19).
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > navy > a naval force or fleet > [noun] > squadron > specific
Irish guard1644
blue1653
Blue Squadron1665
white squadron1666
white1668
red1690
red squadron1702
1665 (title) A list of the perticulars of His Majesties fleet as they are divided into squadrons. Red. White. Blew.]
1666 London Gaz. No. 85/4 To steer after the Enemy, with the White Squadron in the Van, and the Blew in the Rear.
1702 Daily Courant 18 Mar. Thomas Hopson Esq; is made Vice-Admiral of the White Squadron.
1727 S. Colliber Columna Rostrata v. 167 Prince Rupert being detached with the whole white squadron..consisting of above twenty men of war and frigates.
1840 Penny Cycl. XVI. 160 Admirals of the red, white, blue, squadrons..bear a square flag of the colour of their squadron at the main..top gallant mast.
1891 F. E. Hulme Heraldry (1897) 262 Until 1864, Great Britain had admirals, and vice and rear-admirals, of the red, white, and blue squadrons.
1926 Amer. Mercury July 383/1 Why does he make so little of the White Squadron?
2007 J. M. Volo Blue Water Patriots v. 93 The White Squadron commonly led the line as the Van; the Red took the Center; and the Blue brought up the Rear.
white squall n. a squall which is not accompanied by dark clouds; cf. squall n.3 1c.
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a1771 S. Parkinson Jrnl. Voy. South Seas (1773) ii. 83 On the 10th, we had squally weather, with the wind at S. S. W. saw some sea-weed, and had several white squalls, which looked as if we had been near land.
1841 F. A. Olmsted Incidents Whaling Voy. (1969) 359 Cape Hatteras..is famous for sudden gusts of wind, called by seamen ‘white squalls’, that without any warning, strike a ship in all their fury.
1889 R. L. Stevenson Lett. (1899) II. 136 We had a black squall astern on the port side and a white squall ahead to starboard.
1994 J. Barth Once upon Time 76 Cooler heads hold that the [Gulf] Stream itself..with its notoriously bumpy weather, is sufficient to account for..‘white squalls’ like the one that capsized and sank Maryland's own Pride of Baltimore.
white squire n. Stock Market a person who or organization which holds or purchases a minority stake in a company facing an unwelcome takeover bid, and lends support to the existing management; cf. white knight n. 1b.
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1985 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 25 July The buyer..provided puzzlement rather than the usual speculation in a bid battle that the long-awaited ‘white knight’ had appeared for Castlemaine. ‘It's more a “white squire”..,’ said one leading broker.
2002 D. Goleman et al. Business: Ultimate Resource 1363/1 A white squire is often invited to purchase the shares by the company to be acquired, and may be required to sign an agreement to prevent them from later becoming a black knight.
† white steep n. Manufacturing Technology Obsolete rare a stage in the process of bleaching (see quot. 1804).
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the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitener > [noun] > bleaching agent
blancher1477
whitener1686
white steep1804
eau de Javelle1807
chlorine1810
animal charcoal1838
chemic1843
styrone1852
bleaching powder1854
oxygen1858
decolorizerc1865
still-liquor1866
bleach1898
1804 Repertory Arts, Manuf., & Agric. 4 107 The White Steep. This part of the process is precisely the same with the last [sc. Bainbie, or Grey Steep] in every particular, except that the sheeps dung is omitted in the composition of the steep.
1876 Textile Colourist 1 226 Mix equal parts of the grey steep liquor and the white steep liquor.
white stock n. stock of a light colour made with chicken, veal, or pork.
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the world > food and drink > food > substances for food preparation > [noun] > stock or liquor
brotha1000
browisa1300
decoction1398
browet1399
juicea1425
liquorc1430
brooc1440
breea1475
brewis1526
decoct1551
gammon essence1706
stock1730
pot-liquor1742
white stock1806
poêlée1824
blanc1845
fond1928
1806 J. Simpson Compl. Syst. Cookery 725 Keep stirring it for a few minutes; then add a little white stock.
1853 R. Riddell Indian Domest. Econ. (ed. 4) 63 Take three quarts of good white stock.
1905 Tasty Dishes (new ed.) 10 3 pints of white stock.
1960 Good Housek. Cookery Bk. (rev. ed.) 196/1 Vegetable water or stock made from bones should be used for gravies and brown sauces; milk, or milk and white stock for white sauces.
2007 J. North French Lessons 28/1 I also recommend having at least one white stock and one brown stock in your freezer.
white stocking n. (chiefly with capital initials) (a name given to) a person who or animal which wears white stockings or has the appearance of doing so. [In quot. 2010 after Russian belye kolgotki, lit. ‘white tights’ or belye čulki, lit. ‘white stockings’, female snipers.]
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > family Equidae (general equines) > body or parts of horse > [noun] > leg > horse defined by
white stocking1706
stringhalter1872
stumper1874
1706 London Gaz. No. 4219/4 A Plate to be run for,..by Galloways, not exceeding 13 hands and half high, (the Guilford White-Stockings excepted).
1874 Inter Ocean (Chicago) 24 May 8 The White Stockings yesterday earned their third defeat for the season.
2010 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 8 Sept. c1/1 Not long ago Russian soldiers in Chechnya and South Ossetia were scared silly with improbable tales of Baltic mercenaries..sometimes known as White Stockings.
white straits n. now historical a kind of coarse cloth made in Devon; (with plural agreement) lengths of this; cf. strait n. 9.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric with specific qualities > [noun] > coarse or rough > from specific place
white straits1513
carpenel1523
Carpmeal1610
Yorkshire1717
Melton cloth1882
1513–14 Acts 5 Henry VIII (?1533) c. 2. sig. E Where..Clothes called white straites be..made within the said countie [of Devon].
1672 T. Manley Νομοθετης: Cowell's Interpreter sig. Aaaa1v White Straits, a kind of course Cloth made in Devonshire, about a yard and half a quarter broad, raw.
1743 J. Grove Hist. Life & Times Cardinal Wolsey II. 207 To direct the Length and Breadth of White Straits made in Devonshire.
1954 W. G. Hoskins Devon xi. 202 The tin went mostly from the Cornish ports, the cloth (a poor quality known as white straits) from Devon.
1985 E. Kerridge Textile Manufactures in Early Mod. Eng. iii. 27 ‘White straits’ were made at first fifteen yards long and four-and-a-half quarters wide.
white straw adj. and n. (a) adj. = white-strawed adj. at Compounds 1a; †(b) n. a white-strawed variety of wheat (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > wheat > types of wheat grain or plant
spelta1000
farc1420
ador?1440
flaxen wheat?1523
Peak-wheat?1523
red wheat?1523
white wheat?1523
duck-bill wheat1553
zea1562
alica1565
buck1577
amelcorn1578
horse-flower1578
tiphe1578
pollard1580
rivet1580
Saracen's corn1585
French wheat1593
Lammas-wheat1594
starch corn1597
St. Peter's corn1597
frumenty1600
secourgeon1600
polwheat1601
duck-wheat1611
kidneys of wheat1611
ograve wheat1616
soft wheat1640
cone-wheat1677
Lammas1677
Poland wheat1686
Saracen corn1687
pole rivet1707
Smyrna wheat1735
hard wheat1757
hen corn1765
velvet wheat1771
white straw1771
nonpareil1805
thick-set wheat1808
cone1826
farro1828
Polish wheat1832
velvet-ear wheat1837
sarrasin1840
mummy wheat1842
snowdrop1844
Red Fife1857
flint-wheat1859
dinkel1866
thick-set1875
spring1884
macaroni wheat1901
einkorn1904
marquis1906
durum1908
emmer1908
hedgehog wheat1909
speltoid1939
1771 M. Peters Winter Riches iii. 73 Other sorts there are, such as the rough hulled, red straw, and white straw wheat.
1802 Communications Board Agric. III. ii. 484 Very rich clays may without injury, from fifteen to twenty years or a longer period, carry a white straw crop, and a fallow crop alternately every year.
1805 R. W. Dickson Pract. Agric. I. 539 The white-strawed wheat..in other counties bears the appellation of the Kentish white-straw.
1958 H. G. Sanders Outl. Brit. Crop Husbandry (ed. 3) 30 Some farmers cling to their principles and refuse to grow two white-straw crops successively.
white sugar n. [compare Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French sucre blanc (first quarter of the 14th cent. or earlier)] refined sugar; cf. brown sugar n. at brown adj. Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > additive > sweetener > [noun] > sugar > other types of sugar
white sugar1423
red sugar?a1425
sugar of Candy1553
ambered sugara1665
superfine sugar1759
preserving sugar1863
basket sugar1902
1423–4 in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt Bk. London Eng. (1931) 180 (MED) Dj. lb. of white Suger..j quarteron of redd dragge.
a1450 in T. Austin Two 15th-cent. Cookery-bks. (1888) 7 Take whyte sugre an caste þer-to.
1562 W. Turner 2nd Pt. Herball f. 106 Take the water & put white sugar vnto it.
1651 G. Sylvester Let. 9 Aug. in V. T. Harlow Colonising Exped. to W. Indies & Guiana (1925) 52 I wrote you formerly, yt I had sent my Brother 4 patts of white sugar.
1846 C. E. Beecher Miss Beecher's Domest. Receipt Bk. xviii. 176 Apple snow. Put twelve very tart apples in cold water over a slow fire. When soft, take away the skins and cores, and mix in a pint of sifted white sugar [etc.].
1935 Wine & Dine with Lake Roland 129 Pull dough in sheets, sprinkle with white sugar, cinnamon, raisins and butter.
2001 L. Perretta Brain Food 44/1 Unlike white sugar, which contains no vitamins or minerals, molasses is a superfood packed with lots of brain-building nutrients.
White Sunday n. now chiefly historical (a) Low Sunday; (b) Whitsunday. [ < In sense (a) (compare quots. 1546, 2006) probably ultimately after post-classical Latin Dominica in albis (see Whitsunday n.). In sense (b) an etymologizing alteration of Whitsunday n.]
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society > faith > worship > liturgical year > feast, festival > specific Christian festivals > Pentecost > [noun]
PentecosteOE
WhitsundayOE
Whitsundaya1250
Whitsuntidec1275
Lok-Soundayc1315
Lokes1340
Whitsun Sunday1532
White Sunday1546
W.c1565
Whit week1728
1546 T. Langley tr. P. Vergil Abridgem. Notable Worke iv. ii. f. lxxi The sondaye after Easter is called the white sonday.
1655 H. Vaughan Silex Scintillans (ed. 2) ii. (title) White Sunday.
a1795 G. Haggitt Serm. Country Congregations (1796) I. xvi. 248 The day has obtained, among Christians, the name of Whit or White Sunday, either from the splendour which accompanied the descent of the Holy Ghost on this occasion, or from the custom of the early converts to Christianity being baptized at this time, and wearing..white garments.
1868 Christian World Mag. May 381/1 Whit-Sunday..was formerly called White Sunday, from the white garments worn by the candidates for baptism.
2006 S. Roud Eng. Year 132/2 Low Sunday is the first Sunday after Easter... It goes by various names, including Little Easter Sunday, White Sunday, and Quasimodo Sunday.
white suprematist n. and adj. rare = white supremacist n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > race theory > belief in white supremacy > one who
Nordicist1927
white chauvinist1929
white racist1944
white suprematist1958
verkrampte1967
1958 Times Lit. Suppl. 11 July 386/3 They imply that, had the Supreme Court said ‘desegregate by the so-and-so of this year’, and had President Eisenhower backed the Courts to the limit, the Southern white suprematists would not have ‘fought back’, or would only have done so unsuccessfully.
1971 J. Bishop Days of Martin Luther King, Jr. iv. 332 A few White Suprematists said that there was no doubt that the bombing was the work of..a militant black who wanted to incite his people to riot.
1982 R. Littlewood & M. Lipsedge Aliens & Alienists ii. 48 Some professors of anatomy (the key discipline for the racial theories) were members of white suprematist organizations.
white supremism n. rare = white supremacism n.
ΚΠ
1960 Mainland Times (La Marque, Texas) 15 Sept. 8/5 Under the slogans and banners of ‘patriotism’ or ‘White supremism’.., he collects his venom of hate and misery.
2006 B. R. Farmer Amer. Polit. Ideol. v. 88 The white supremism of the KKK.
white supremist n. and adj. = white supremacist n. and adj.
ΚΠ
1896 Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago) 6 Apr. 1/7 The ‘white supremists’, or regular Democrats, say that the negroes shall not register.
1942 Pittsburgh Courier 28 Feb. 12/5 The..asinine belief that all they have to do is to throw their ‘white supremist’ hats into the ring and the Japs will do an ‘el foldo’.
1956 Times 4 July 11/5 The methods adopted by..white supremists to ensure their continued existence will prove to be the instrument of their own destruction.
1990 New Dimensions May 23/3 Skinheads, a white supremist youth group, strike out against anti-Klan demonstrators.
2004 J. A. Markowitz Gay Detective Novel ii. 48 [He] was the only officer in his division to provide protection to a black family targeted by white supremists.
white tea n. (a) tea that is processed so as to prevent fermentation before drying, typically producing a light-coloured beverage; (also) a particular variety of this; cf. black tea n. (a) at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a), green tea n. at green adj. and n.1 Compounds 1d(a); (b) (chiefly British) tea served with milk or cream; (also) a drink of this; cf. white coffee n. [In sense (a) ultimately after Chinese báichá (12th cent.; < bái white +chá tea: see cha n.). With quot. 1899 compare Japanese shirocha (rare; after Chinese).]
ΚΠ
1899 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 17 Nov. 9/1 Martha concocted some of the marvelous white tea you brought back from Japan.
1933 Times Lit. Suppl. 30 Mar. 220/4 The twelfth-century Emperor Kiasung.., who wrote a dissertation upon the twenty kinds of rare tea, the rarest of all being the white tea, for which he had made search.
1964 Times 15 Feb. 9/6 The prospect of ‘lamb's fry and white tea’ for breakfast is unexpectedly heartening.
1985 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 27 Oct. x. 14/1 The best of the white teas, the Fujian flowery silver pekoe.
1991 Grocer 20 July 30/2 The brand, Britain's first instant white tea, evidently responds well to TV advertising.
2009 Independent 9 Nov. (Life section) 12/4 White tea comes from the youngest, freshest buds of the tea plant.
white telephone adj. now historical (of a film, originally and chiefly in Italy during the fascist era) telling an unrealistic story set in elegant surroundings; (also) designating the era of such films. [After Italian telefoni bianchi, plural (although this is apparently first attested slightly later than in English: 1954 or earlier in film dei telefoni bianchi, 1959 or earlier in cinema dei telefoni bianchi), with reference to the frequent appearance of a white telephone as a status symbol in such films.]
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [adjective] > other types
costumed1851
foreign language1904
first run1910
Keystone1912
photodramatic1914
serial1915
coming of age1919
edge-of-your-seat1922
psychodramatic1927
omnibus1928
straight1936
low-budget1937
no-budget1937
screwball1937
Ealing1939
blockbusting1943
private eye1946
film noir1952
white telephone1952
portmanteau1953
uncut1953
anthology1955
three-D1955
Hammer1958
noir1958
co-production1959
kitchen sink1959
kidult1960
docudrama1961
cinéma vérité1963
maudit1963
filmi1965
indie1968
triple-X1969
XXX1969
drama-documentary1970
cheapie1973
gross-out1973
high concept1973
chopsocky1974
hard R1974
buddy movie1975
sci-fi1977
mondo1979
hack-and-slash1981
microbudget1981
hack-and-slay1982
slice-and-dice1982
fly on the wall1983
psychotronic1983
noirish1985
Mad Max1986
stoner1987
bonkbusting1993
straight to DVD1997
1952 N.Y. Times 21 Sept. (Mag.) 22/2 This period richly deserved its title of the ‘white telephone’ era—the ever-present white telephone symbolizing the false pretense of middle-class happiness under Mussolini.
1958 Oxf. Mag. 22 May 462/2 Then from Italy, which had hitherto only produced ‘white telephone’ films, came this simple, humble and extremely moving story.
1975 New Yorker 5 May 24/3 This is an icy high-minded white-telephone movie.
1995 Vanity Fair July 94/1 He specialized in roles, common in the 30s, that required him to wear white carnations and stiff collars while ringing up Anna Magnani on a white telephone (in fact, Italians call this genre, without irony, ‘White Telephone movies’).
white thrombus n. [probably after German weissen Thrombus (Friedrich Zahn, 1875 or earlier)] Medicine a thrombus (blood clot) containing very few red blood cells; esp. a greyish-white mass of aggregated platelets and fibrin found within an artery; (also) material of this nature; often contrasted with red thrombus.
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1875 Glasgow Med. Jrnl. 7 273 After the ligature was loosed, and circulation re-established, a white thrombus was formed, either partially or completely obstructing the vessel.
1949 H. W. C. Vines Green's Man. Pathol. (ed. 17) iv. 61 The fibrin contracts and the clot becomes partly hyalinised, forming a white thrombus.
2002 P. Morris Interventional & Endovascular Therapy Nerv. Syst. i. 1/1 Arterial thrombus is frequently described as ‘white thrombus’ composed of densely packed platelets and fibrin.
white tinned adj. coated with white tin (see white tin n. at Compounds 1g(c)(ii)).
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1521–2 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 313 A brase of iron for the sacryng bell that was whight tynned.
1857 New Monthly Mag. May 71 This iron-sand is then carefully washed, and laid on a little white-tinned box to dry.
1970 Britannia 1 223/1 (table) Brooch, swastika, white tinned.
† white-tooth v. Obsolete rare transitive to show one's white teeth at.
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1876 A. J. Evans Through Bosnia iii. 89 A dusky Ethiopian maiden white-toothing us in the most coquettish fashion.
white underwing n. (more fully white underwing moth) any of several noctuid moths with partly white hindwings: Anarta melanopa of northern Europe, Catephia alchymista of southern Europe, and Catocala relicta of North America.
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1850 J. E. Gray List Specimens Brit. Animals Brit. Mus. V. 147 Anarta melanopa. The Broad-bordered White Underwing.
1909 Westm. Gaz. 9 Dec. 4/2 The common ‘white underwing’ moths.
2007 R. M. Pyle Sky Time Gray’s River x. 191 Once in a while on these late fall nights, another big beautiful gray animal comes: Catocala relicta, the white underwing moth.
White Van Man n. (also with lower-case initials) British colloquial a male driver of a (typically white) delivery or tradesperson's van, esp. when regarded as an aggressive or bad driver; (hence) a driver of such a van regarded as a social type, usually characterized as an ordinary working man with forthright views.
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1997 Sunday Times 18 May 3/1 He is known as White Van Man and is the most feared driver on the road.
1999 Sun 14 Jan. 13 (heading) The world according to White Van Man.
2002 Independent (Nexis) 22 Nov. 19 Ask any cab driver, white-van man or parent-with-three-kids-and-shopping, and the answer will be uniformly apocalyptic.
2011 A. Gibbons Act of Love (2012) xii. 125 He was driving too slowly for the white van man behind him. White van man hit the horn and Quade flashed a two-finger salute.
white-walled adj. having white walls; spec. (of a tyre) = whitewall adj. 1.
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society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > vehicles according to means of motion > vehicle moving on wheels > [adjective] > fitted with tyres > attributes of tyres
steel-studdeda1400
white-walled1720
punctured1896
sidewall1901
beaded-edge1902
treaded1906
low-profile1922
whitewall1930
run-flat1941
whitewall1957
bald1958
bias-ply1964
cross-ply1965
studded1966
treadless1968
1720 J. Dart tr. Tibullus Wks. i. vii. 46 The publick way shall speak thy great Designs, Which Tusculum to white-wall'd Alba joins.
1816 Ld. Byron Prisoner of Chillon 339 I saw the white-wall'd distant town.
1958 Punch 21 May 670/3 Dunlop white-walled tyres, white pedals, and white pump.
1985 A. McCandless Burke Found. i. 4 White-walled houses with red-tiled roofs.
2007 Daily Tel. 9 Nov. 31/1 The director has used an ultra-modern technique known as ‘performance capture’ in which actors perform in a white-walled room wearing close-fitting Lycra suits with digital sensors attached to their faces and bodies.
white war n. war without bloodshed; economic warfare.
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society > armed hostility > war > types of war > [noun] > cold war
political warfare1765
propaganda war1838
white war1931
phoney war1939
sitzkrieg1940
cold war1945
society > trade and finance > management of money > management of national resources > [noun] > political economy > economic warfare
economic war1882
economic warfare1888
white war1931
1931 Relig. Educ. 26 401/2 The white wars of commercial competition and the red wars of blood and extermination.
1939 New Statesman 3 June 878/2 Armament firms will boom more conspicuously, but the promised Government limitation of earnings or special taxations of ‘whitewar’ profits must deprive the armament or semi-armament equities of their usual attraction.
1948 F. W. Foerster in F. Gross European Ideol. xx. 748 Mussolini called this type of propaganda the ‘white war’ which preceded the red, bloody war.
2003 Agence France Presse (Nexis) 8 Jan. White War!..Unofficial reports indicate that Washington is now following a different strategy based on a ‘white battle’ to accomplish the same goal a ‘red war’ would achieve—that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein may take asylum in Russia.
white ware n. white products, esp. white earthenware.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > clay compositions > baked clay > pottery or ceramics > [noun] > pottery of specific colour
white ware1577
yellow ware1764
pearl white1779
cream-ware1780
Egyptian black1784
greyware1793
agateware1817
pearl pottery1825
brown ware1836
pearlware1842
black pot1851
cane colour1866
tortoiseshell ware1879
1577 in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1846) 3rd Ser. IV. 26 Theire canvas and whiteware.
1677 W. Harris tr. N. Lémery Course Chym. i. iv. 51 Pour the Dissolution into a clean White-Ware Vessel.
1776 J. Wedgwood Let. 14 Jan. in Sel. Lett. (1965) 189 But for Usefull China, or such a white-ware as you mention, I must beg a longer time.
1843 Ecclesiologist 2 31 A mean and unecclesiastical composition Font, containing a white-ware hand basin.
1925 B. Rackham tr. E. Hannover Pottery & Porcelain I. iv. iii. 357 At Nuremberg and Augsburg,..there lived enamel-painters who had white wares delivered to them from the factories to be decorated by them at home.
2004 Collect It! Feb. 58/3 We are putting the ‘Made’ back into ‘Made in England’, because a lot of companies say they are English-made, whereas the white ware is brought in from abroad.
white wax n. [compare Anglo-Norman blanche cire (13th cent. or earlier)] now chiefly historical beeswax refined or bleached to a whitish colour, used esp. in the manufacture of candles and in medicinal preparations.
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tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 1126 White wax, hard picche, remysse ammonyake.
1649 N. Culpeper Physicall Directory 280 Take of oyl of Roses Omphacine a pound and an half, white Wax five ounces melt them together and put them into a leaden mortar.
1825 W. T. Brande Man. Pharmacy i. 56 White wax is frequently adulterated with spermaceti, and is sold in the market at very different prices accordingly.
2004 Ambix 51 221 The pigment was extracted from lapis lazuli by a very laborious process involving the use of a pastello consisting of rosin, white wax, linseed oil and Burgundy pitch.
white way n. U.S. (usu. with capital initials) a brilliantly lit city street; spec. the main street of a theatre district (earliest in Great White Way n. at great adj., n., adv., and int. Compounds 1e).
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1902 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 22 Nov. 6/4 (heading) ‘It's Carmen or Nothing’... Miss Phillips Out of Cast. Manager Hands Her the Second Part to Play and She Cries ‘Quits’... Miss Phillips..Will Join the Throng on ‘The Great White Way’.
1920 S. Lewis Main St. xxv. 416 Then, glory of glories, the town put in a White Way.
1933 E. Caldwell God's Little Acre xi. 170 Out of the grey darkness of the building the girl suddenly appeared in the glow of the whiteway lights.
1939 Florida: Guide to Southernmost State (Federal Writers' Project) ii. 259 Central Avenue [in St Petersburg], the city's ‘White Way’, extends rulerlike for 7 miles across the peninsula.
1992 N. Cohn Heart of World i. 5 Broadway..is mother of Broadways all over world, mother of lights of Piccadilly Circus and of Place Pigalle and Teatralny Ploschtchad. Great White Way is greatest white way.
whitewear n. household linen; = white goods n. 1.
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society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > household linen > [noun]
naperyc1400
white goods1807
whitewear1895
1895 Sunday Inter Ocean (Chicago) 3 Feb. 5/1 (advt.) Better made whitewear can't be had.
1905 H. G. Wells Kipps i. ii. 40 Cretonnes, chintzes, and the like; serviettes, and all the bright hard whitewear of a well-ordered house.
1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 15 Mar. 4/6 (advt.) New Whitewear at the New Low Prices.
2006 L. Abrams in D. K. Simonton Routledege Hist. of Women in Europe ii. 25 In Sicily, a trousseau of embroidered whitewear was the conventional dowry of a peasant girl.
white wedding n. a wedding at which the bride wears a formal white dress.Frequently also implying that the wedding ceremony and reception will follow a traditional format. Sometimes also assumed to have connotations of purity or even of the bride's virginity.
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society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > wedding or nuptials > [noun] > manner of marrying > other types of wedding
confarreation1598
farreation1656
coemption1676
Scotch marriage1762
foot washing1780
civil union1837
white wedding1840
hand-fastening1899
Anand Karaj1938
destination wedding1990
1840 Metrop. Mag. May 75 She is so taken up with the important matter, whether her wedding shall be a white wedding or a coloured one, that I verily think there is danger of Harry Hooke being himself forgotten.
1937 H. Jennings et al. May 12th Mass-observ. Day-surveys (1987) ii. 393 The weather suggested more than once a ‘White wedding’ of a rather fairy nature.
1949 N. Mitford Love in Cold Climate i. xvi. 170 She was awfully old for a white wedding, thirty or something terrible.
1976 Listener 29 July 105/1 Young black girls [in Soweto] now demand white weddings with lots of bridesmaids and floating veils.
2014 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 24 Jan. 27 How many women, when faced with a chaotic household of screaming kids, a leaking washing machine and a husband on his way out to the golf course, stop, sigh and think, ‘It's OK, at least I had a beautiful white wedding’?
white whale n. (a) the beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas, the adults of which are typically pure white in colour; (in later use also) any whale of the family Monodontidae; (b) [with reference to the white sperm whale hunted by Captain Ahab in Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick (1851)] an objective earnestly or relentlessly pursued; (the object of) an obsession; also as great white whale.
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the world > animals > mammals > order Cetacea (whales) > suborder Odontoceti > [noun] > family Monodontidae > genus Delphinapterus (white whale)
beluga1605
white whale1635
whitefish1792
porpoise1841
sea-canary1879
1635 L. Foxe North-west Fox sig. Bb4v The tyde set S. and by N. and here we see white Whales.
1744 A. Dobbs Acct. Countries adjoining Hudson's Bay 17 Shot a white Whale, and got a Barrel of Oil from it.
1871 S. F. Baird in C. H. Davis Narr. N. Polar Exped. (U.S. Naval Observatory) (1876) 653 [Specimens of] the Phoca cristata, the white whale (Beluga), and the Monodon are particularly desired.
1931 T. Smith Turnabout i. 15 There she blew, the future, the taunting white whale.
1969 Billings (Montana) Gaz. 24 Apr. 35/3 The race is Andy's obsession, his White Whale. He may never win it, but he will never stop trying.
1980 G. Corbet & D. Ovenden Mammals Brit. & Europe 212 White whales: family Monodontidae. The White whale and the Narwhal are the only members of this family.
1992 Winnipeg Free Press 29 Dec. b4/1 After an epic 14-year hunt, scientists think they may have harpooned the Great White Whale of physics:..the top quark.
2011 Jrnl. Exper. Marine Biol. & Ecol. 407 82/1 Lammers and Castellote have also collected indirect evidence that the white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) produces sounds from two click generators.
white whisky n. colourless whisky; spec. (North American) home-made or illicit whisky.
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the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > whisky > [noun] > illicit whisky
poteen1809
mountain dew1816
poteen whiskey1816
white whisky1822
pine-top1858
white mule1880
wild-cat whisky1881
brush whisky1885
wild cat1887
white lightning1907
1822 W. Wirt Let. 19 Apr. in J. P. Kennedy Mem. W. Wirt (1850) II. viii. 124 To lustrate as well as to give lustre (so note the distinction) to the hair, the best thing is—whiskey—pure, uncoloured, white whiskey.
1901 G. Parker Right of Way 23 Rouge Gosselin flung off his glass of white whisky, and threw after it another glass of cold water.
1957 W. Faulkner Town xxiv. 357 Ratliff..took a pint bottle of white whiskey from inside his shirt.
1968 ‘N. Blake’ Private Wound i. 17 Padraig, another Jamieson for Mr. Eyre. The white whiskey, mind, this time. Did y'ever try Jamieson's white?
1994 R. Hendrickson Happy Trails 227 It was unlike the white whiskey; not so bad, but still pretty bad—low grade, frontier tanglefoot rye, dear at a dollar a bottle.
white wig n. somewhat rare a person who wears a white wig; spec. (a name for) a lawyer or judge, esp. a newly qualified one.
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1673 J. Dryden Marriage a-la-Mode Prol. sig. Ai White-Wig and Vizard make no longer jar.
1796 E. Parsons Women as they Are I. x. 99 A parcel of old maidens, young simpletons, and hobbling white wigs!
1967 Financial Times 11 Mar. 5/1 Alternatively, you could employ a solicitor to do so; or solicitor and counsel. And, if counsel, then you could employ anybody from Mr. Whitewig called the day before to the most famous and experienced.
2011 C. Taylor Londoners 346 You know what you call a new barrister? A white wig. Because it's pristine and so is the barrister.
white window n. rare a stained-glass window in grisaille (see grisaille n.).
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society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > ornamental art and craft > ornamental glass-work > [noun] > glass-colouring > glass-staining > stained glass > type of window
grisaille1848
white window1855
1855 Jrnl. Brit. Archæol. Assoc. 11 93 Look to the old white windows anywhere, and see how well adapted they are for ecclesiastical buildings; look at our poor modern white glass windows: and then judge for yourselves.
1913 F. S. Eden Anc. Glass 45 A small white window, made up of quarries (panes) decorated in brown enamel let in a white and coloured border.
white wings n. figurative sails; also occasionally in singular.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > masts, rigging, or sails > sail > [noun] > collectively
sailc1385
canvas1609
linensa1640
cloth1651
white wings1778
clothing1798
muslin1822
sailage1889
1778 J. Clark tr. Wks. Caledonian Bards 136 Unhappy are ye, sons of the sea; for never more shall ye raise your white wings of speed.
1814 Ld. Byron Corsair i. iii. 5 How gloriously her gallant course she [sc. the ship] goes! Her white wings flying.
1880 W. Black (title) White wings: a yachting romance.
2008 New Yorker 9 June 59/2 On this weekday there were no people to be seen; only occasional cloudlets of exclamation or laughter were audible, and on the lake there hovered a white wing—a yacht's sail.
white woman n. Alchemy (now historical) a substance regarded as the female principle or parent of metals, usually identified with mercury (cf. mercury n. 8).
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the world > matter > alchemy > other alchemical substances or theories > [noun] > others
nurslinga1500
red stonea1500
ruby stonea1500
white womana1500
firmament1612
nitre1682
a1500 ( G. Ripley Compend of Alchemy (Ashm.) l. 1788 (MED) Ye Rede man & ye whyȝte woman be made on, Spowsed with ye spirit of lyffe to leve in loue & reste.
1612 B. Jonson Alchemist ii. iii. sig. E2 Your Red man, and your white woman; With all your Broathes, your Menstrues, and Materialls. View more context for this quotation
1821 Q. Rev. Oct. 196 The blue lion and the green lion, the red man and the white woman..were blended with the legends of saints and martyrs.
2006 G. Ogilvy Alchemist's Kitchen 10 Unrefined, Mercury is symbolized by the dragon, the serpent, the Green Lion, and the white woman.
white work n. embroidery worked in white thread on a white ground.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > sewn or ornamented textile fabric > [noun] > embroidery or ornamental sewing > done with specific thread or yarn > white
white work1578
white embroidery1808
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > sewing or ornamenting textile fabric > [noun] > embroidery or ornamental sewing > done in white thread on white ground
white work1578
white embroidery1808
1578 in J. Arnold Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd (1988) 28/2 Ruffs of lawnde white worke, edged with sede perle, and a yelo here, and another like black.
1620 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes 2nd Pt. Don Quixote xlviii. 317 My friends plac't mee to serue as a Chamber-maid to a worthy Lady: and though I say it, that for white-worke, hemming and stitching, I was neuer yet put downe in all my life.
1863 E. C. Gaskell Sylvia's Lovers III. i. 2 Sitting in the dark parlour..and doing ‘white work’, was..wearying to her.
1967 E. Short Embroidery & Fabric Collage ii. 39 Another type of white work used for accessories and children's clothes was Richelieu work, an elaborate form of cut work.
2012 Independent on Sunday 22 Jan. (New Review) 26/3 She is dressed in a plissé slip of Chanel chiffon as underskirt to a billowing broderie anglaise dress and Edwardian whitework jacket.
g.
(a)
(i) In names of species, varieties, or breeds of animal distinguished by white or pale colouring or markings.white pointer: see pointer n. 12. See also whitebait n., white bear n., whitefish n., etc.
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the world > animals > fish > subclass Elasmobranchii > order Pleurotremata > [noun] > family Isuridae > member of genus Carcharodon (man-eater)
whiteOE
requiem1666
man-eater1829
pointer1881
OE Brussels Gloss. in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 284 Anser,..hwit gos. Ganta.., græggos.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 323 (MED) Islond, þat ilond, haþ..in þe north þe froren see..and þere beeþ þe whyte beres þat brekeþ þe yse for to drawe out fische.
?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxivv Whyte sneles be yll for shepe in pastures.
1555 R. Eden Two Viages into Guinea in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde f. 356v A greate region of Ethiopians which bryngeth furth whyte elephantes, tygers, [etc.].
1729 R. Bradley Gentleman & Farmer's Guide i. 10 In some Pastures there are great Numbers of white Snails and Sluggs.
1804 W. Clark Jrnl. 8 Sept. in Jrnls. Lewis & Clark Exped. (1987) III. 55 I saw Greid many Buffalow & white wolves.
1914 N. M. Banta Nature Neighbors II. viii. 131 This little shore or beach bird is sometimes called the White or Surf Snipe.
1921 C. A. Richey Rabbit & Cavy Bk. (ed. 4) 21 A new breed [of rabbit]..called the White New Zealand..having..a pure white coat with pink eyes.
1974 M. W. Fox Understanding your Cat (1992) ii. 36 Many of the cats show color mutations, white (albinism) being rare, as in the white tigers of India.
2001 Trop. Fish Hobbyist June 146/2 Serrasalmus rhombeus..is known by such common names as white piranha, black piranha, and red-eye piranha.
2002 G. H. Baker in G. M. Barker Molluscs as Crop Pests vi. 193 T[heba] pisana and C[ernuella] virgata are known locally as white snails.
(ii)
white admirable n. (more fully white admirable butterfly) [compare admirable n. 4] now historical and rare the white admiral Limenitis camilla.
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1742 B. Wilkes Twelve New Designs Eng. Butterflies Pl. 1 (caption) The White Admirable Butterfly.
1842 Entomologist June 325 The White Admirable, so justly noted for its graceful flight, was there in great beauty and abundance.
1906 R. South Butterflies Brit. Isles ii. 59 The ‘White Admirable Butterfly’, as it was called by some of the older English entomologists, needs only to be seen to be at once recognized.
white admiral n. (more fully white admiral butterfly) [compare admiral n. 5] a Eurasian nymphalid butterfly, Limenitis camilla, which has black wings with conspicuous white bands; (in later use also) any of several other butterflies of the genus Limenitis having a similar appearance, esp. Limenitis arthemis of North America.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > Rhopalocera (butterflies) > [noun] > family Nymphalidae > subfamily Ithomiinae > genus Limenitus > limenitus camilla (white admiral)
white admiral1717
?1703 J. Petiver Gazophylacii II. 24 The White Legorn Admiral. Mr. Robert Barklay..brought me this first from Legorn, since which it was caught in London.]
1717 J. Petiver Papilionum Britanniæ Icones 1/2 White Admiral. Found about Dullidge and Wickham near Croyden, as also at Henly upon Thames.
1871 Trans. Entomol. Soc. London 345 Sibylla is, it is now admitted, the male name for our White Admiral Butterfly, and Camilla the female, both names being given by Linnæus.
1922 V. Woolf Jacob's Room ii. 36 He had seen a white admiral circling higher and higher round an oak tree, but he had never caught it.
2001 C. S. Guppy & J. H. Shepard Butterflies Brit. Columbia 315/1 White Admirals occur throughout the northern and central interior of BC south to the northern Okanagan Valley, mostly in deciduous and mixed forests.
white amur n. [after Russian belyj amur (1948 or earlier)] chiefly U.S. the grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, which has juveniles of a silvery colour.The fish is native to eastern Asia, including the Amur River, but is farmed elsewhere, both as a food source and as a means of controlling aquatic weeds.
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1957 Doklady Biol. Sci. 112 395 Other Amur fish—‘tolstolobik’ and ‘white amur’—began to be introduced into the hatcheries of the Moscow region and the Ukraine in 1951.
1972 BioScience 22 210/3 Large specimens of the grass carp, or white amur, have now been caught on three occasions in Illinois waters.
2007 Dayton (Ohio) Daily News (Nexis) 21 June (Sports section) b5 The regular state records do not have a category for white amur.
white bass n. chiefly U.S. a small freshwater game fish of North America, Morone chrysops (family Moronidae), which is silvery with narrow longitudinal stripes.
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1813 H. G. Spafford Gazetteer State N.-Y. 266/2 Among the most admired fish are salmon, pike, Oswego and white bass, trout, [etc.].
1939 Jrnl. Wildlife Managem. 3 246/2 In Kegonsa the fish biting best was the white bass.
2004 K. Schultz Field Guide Freshwater Fish 56 The white bass is a freshwater fish known for its spunky fighting ability, as well as its merits as an excellent eating fish.
white bat n. any of several Central and South American bats with white fur, esp. the northern ghost bat, Diclidurus albus (family Emballonuridae), and (in full Honduran white bat) Ectophylla alba (family Phyllostomidae).
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1885 Guide Galleries Mammalia (Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist.) 30 The White Bat (Diclidurus albus) of South America, one of the very few Mammals, and the only Bat, normally white in colour.
1959 E. R. Hall & K. R. Kelson Mammals N. Amer. I. 135/2 (heading) Ectophylla alba H. Allen. Honduran white bat.
1985 Southwestern Naturalist 30 322 (title) Occurrence of the white bat, Diclidurus virgo (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae), in the region of ‘Los Tuxtlas’, Veracruz.
2012 C. Baker et al. Costa Rica (rev. ed.) 79/2 Sunlight filtering through the leaf makes the Honduran white bat's fur appear green.
† white-breech n. [after classical Latin pȳgargus pygarg n.] Obsolete rare a kind of antelope; = pygarg n. 1.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > antelope > [noun] > subfamily Hippotraginae > genus Addax (addax)
pygarga1382
addax1601
white-breecha1661
a1661 B. Holyday tr. Juvenal Satyres (1673) xi. 216 Trypherus..Carves..th' Hare, Boar, the White-Breech [L. pygargus] too, The Scythian Phesant,..And the Getulian Goat.
white cockatoo n. any of several cockatoos of the genus Cacatua having predominantly white plumage, esp. the sulphur-crested cockatoo, C. galerita, of Australia and (in later use) C. alba of Indonesia.
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1764 G. Edwards Gleanings Nat. Hist. III. 328 (list) The greater white Cockatoo... The lesser white Cockatoo with a yellow crest.
1852 G. C. Mundy Our Antipodes I. 286 The fields were covered, as by a snow-drift with flights of the large white cockatoo.
1942 Bulletin (Sydney) 8 July 13/2 The ‘boonch of lambs’ was a flock of white cockatoos hoeing into some melons in a shallow depression about half a mile away.
2010 P. F. Donald et al. Facing Extinction viii. 86 The White Cockatoo C. alba from the north Moluccas and the Tanimbar Corella C. goffiniana..were all extremely heavily traded.
white eared pheasant n. an eared pheasant of China having predominantly white plumage, Crossoptilon crossoptilon.
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1902 Geogr. Jrnl. 19 589 In the thickly tree-clad gorges we found quantities of the white-eared pheasants.
1976 G. Durrell Stationary Ark iv. 78 Our chances of establishing the White-eared pheasant in captivity seemed..slim.
2005 S. Su Reader on China 38 Pheasants like..blue eared pheasant and white eared pheasant are extremely beautiful, but are found in few numbers.
white egret n. any of various egrets or herons (or colour morphs of them) characterized by white plumage; cf. white heron n.
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the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Ciconiiformes (storks, etc.) > [noun] > family Ardeidae (herons and bitterns) > member of genus Egretta (miscellaneous) > egretta alba (great egret)
white heron1575
snowy heron1785
white egret1828
kotuku1846
1828 G. F. Lyon Jrnl. Resid. & Tour Mexico II. viii. 53 The beautiful white egrets abound; and ducks, grebes, [etc.].
1872 E. Coues Key to N. Amer. Birds 267 Genus Ardea Linnæus... Great White Egret, White Heron... Egretta... Little White Egret, Snowy Heron... Candidissima.
1957 D. A. Bannerman Birds Brit. Isles VI. 68 The great white egret..is in habit more like the grey heron and the purple heron and less like the egrets.
2009 Guardian Weekly (Nexis) 30 Jan. 29 The cattle, accompanied by white egrets, were grazing the grass on the track and had to be shooed away.
white-eyelid mangabey n. rare any of the African monkeys constituting the genus Cercocebus (family Cercopithecidae), characterized by prominent white upper eyelids.Originally regarded as a single species.
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1863 New Amer. Cycl. (new ed.) XI. 655/1 The white-eyelid mangabey (C. fuliginosus, Geoffr.) is of a sooty black color, with white and very conspicuous upper eyelids.
2006 N. E. Newton-Fisher Primates Western Uganda 12 These arboreal mangabeys [of the genus Lophocebus] were formerly included with the true ‘white-eyelid’ mangabeys.
white-eyelid monkey n. now rare = white-eyelid mangabey n.
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1771 T. Pennant Synopsis Quadrupeds 114 Monkey... White eye-lid... Le Mangabey de Buffon.
1847 J. Frost Bk. Trav. Afr. i. 29 The Collared White-eyelid Monkey.., like the Sooty White-eyelid Monkey, is a native of Western Africa.
1910 E. Protheroe Handy Nat. Hist. iii. 61 Their distinguishing feature is white eyelids, for which reason they [sc. mangabeys] are often called the White-Eyelid Monkeys.
whitefront n. a white-fronted goose, esp. Anser albifrons; also with distinguishing word.
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the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > [noun] > member of subfamily Anserinea (goose) > genus Anser > anser albifrons (white-front)
laughing goose1750
whitefront1855
speckle-belly1874
tortoiseshell goose1885
1855 Pop. Catal. Extraordinary Curiosities National Inst. (Washington) 57 White front goose.
1992 Bird Watching Jan. 24/1 The Lesser White-front wore a blue neck collar which identified it as one of the birds released by researchers.
2010 Field Feb. 109/3 A young whitefront scrunched, very dead, into the snow at my feet.
whitefly n. (a) North American either of two North American mayflies of the genus Ephoron, which have white bodies; (b) any of numerous small bugs constituting the family Aleyrodidae, typically having wings covered with pale, powdery wax; esp. Trialeurodes vaporariorum, a major pest of greenhouse plants, and Aleyrodes proletella, a pest of brassica crops.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > subclass Pterygota > [noun] > division Exopterygota or Hemimetabola > order Hemiptera > suborder Homoptera > family Aleyrodidae > member of
whitefly1802
1802 Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. 5 71 (heading) On the Ephoron Leukon, usually called the White Fly of Passaick River.
1896 W. T. Swingle & H. J. Webber Princ. Dis. Citrous Fruits Florida (U.S. Dept. Agric.) 25 In Florida sooty mould follows principally the attacks of the mealy wing or white fly (Aleyrodes citri R. & H.).
1976 Daily Courier (Connellsville, Pa.) 26 Aug. 16/3 As with most other mayfly species, the white fly spends nearly all of its life as a nymph on the stream bottom.
2006 Grow your Own July 34/3 A patch of basil intercropped with tomatoes will inhibit whitefly.
white fox n. an Arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus) that has white fur in winter; the colour morph of the Arctic fox characterized by this coloration; (also) the fur of this animal; cf. blue fox n. at blue adj. and n. Compounds 1b(a).
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > [noun] > genus Alopex (arctic fox)
white fox1589
blue fox1762
Arctic fox1771
isatis1774
stone-fox1832
corsac1838
1589 R. Hakluyt tr. J. Hasse in Princ. Navigations ii. 294 The Furres and Fethers which come to Colmogro, as Sables, Beauers, Minkes.., Wooluerings, and white Foxes.
1696 in H. Kelsey Papers (1929) 54 They [sc. Indians] brought nothing but 2 white fox skins.
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth III. 333 The fur of the white fox is held in no great estimation.
1862 Canad. Naturalist May 138 White foxes have been killed on the south shore of Great Slave Lake.
2012 D. Naughton Nat. Hist. Canad Mammals 391/2 White foxes are most common in the Canadian Arctic.
white game n. now historical and rare = white grouse n.; cf. red game n., black game n.
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the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Tetraonidae (grouse) > [noun] > genus Lagopus > lagopus mutus (ptarmigan)
ptarmigan1599
white partridge1610
snow-hen1648
white game1678
lagopus1693
grey fowl1712
rype1744
white grouse1771
rock grouse1785
tanmerack1792
ripa1830
snow-grouse1884
lagopode1901
1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. ii. 176 The white Game, erroneously called the white Partridge, Lagopus avis.
1795 J. Berkenhout Synopsis Nat. Hist. Great Brit. (ed. 3) I. 41 Ptarmigan, or White Game. In summer pale brown with dark spots.
1861 I. M. Beeton Bk. Househ. Managem. xxiii. 517 White grouse, white game, or ptarmigan, is nearly the same size as the red grouse.
2005 M. Cocker & R. Mabey Birds Britannica 157/2 Sportsmen once knew ptarmigan as ‘white grouse’ or ‘white game’.
white goat n. North American (now rare) the American goat-antelope Oreamnos americanus; = mountain goat n. 1b.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > subfamily Caprinae (goat) > [noun] > genus Oreamus (Rocky Mountain goat)
mazama1817
Rocky Mountain goat1826
mountain goat1841
white goat1845
mazame1852
1845 P. J. de Smet Let. 9 Sept. in Oregon Missions (1847) 134 He reviews his numerous furry subjects the beaver, otter, muskrat, marten, fox, bear, wolf, sheep, and white goat of the mountains.
1936 D. McCowan Animals Canad. Rockies xiv. 122 A full grown male White goat has a body length of about five feet, [and] stands approximately forty inches high at the shoulder.
2003 S. D. Côtè & M. Festa-Bianchet in G. A. Feldhamer et al. Wild Mammals N. Amer. (ed. 2) 1061/1 (heading) Common Names. Mountain goat, Rocky Mountain goat, snow goat, white goat.
white grouse n. the rock ptarmigan, Lagopus muta, which turns white in winter; cf. white game n., white partridge n.
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the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Tetraonidae (grouse) > [noun] > genus Lagopus > lagopus mutus (ptarmigan)
ptarmigan1599
white partridge1610
snow-hen1648
white game1678
lagopus1693
grey fowl1712
rype1744
white grouse1771
rock grouse1785
tanmerack1792
ripa1830
snow-grouse1884
lagopode1901
1771 J. R. Forster in tr. J. B. Bossu Trav. Louisiana I. 95 (note) Lagopus, Linn. The white grous.
1785 T. Pennant Arctic Zool. II. 309 The lesser kind..proved to be the same with the White Grous of the Alps, and the Ptarmigan of the Highlands of Scotland.
1920 S. Gordon Land Hills & Glens viii. 38 There the white grouse live in snow from November until May.
2010 J. Lister-Kaye At Water's Edge xiii. 236 The white grouse seemed to float through crystal air.
white grub n. the larva of any of various beetles, esp. chafer beetles, spec. when used as a fishing bait or regarded as a pest of grasses; also with unchanged plural.In quot. 1496 perhaps the larva of a scarabaeid dung beetle.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Coleoptera or beetles and weevils > [noun] > Polyphaga (omnivorous) > superfamily Lamellicornia Scarabaeoidea > family Scarabaeidae > genus Melolontha > larva of cockchafer
white grub1496
whitebait1681
ton1693
turk1712
rook worma1722
white worm1724
earth-lard1801
grass grub1854
1496 Treat. Fysshynge wyth Angle in Bk. St. Albans (rev. ed.) sig. i.ij In Iune the codworme & the bayte on the osyer and the whyte grubbe in ye dunghyll.
1681 J. Chetham Angler's Vade Mecum iv. 32 The one found or bred mellow, resty, heathy, sandy, light soils..(and is call'd the Earth-bob, white-grub or white-bait,) and is a Worm as big as two Maggots.
1740 R. Brookes Art of Angling i. iii. 13 The Earth-Bob or White-Grub is a Worm with a red Head.
a1817 T. Dwight Trav. New-Eng. & N.-Y. (1821) I. 77 The white-grub has..extensively injured meadows and pastures.
1929 R. A. Wardle Probl. Appl. Entomol. ii. xviii. 447 The principal insect problems of forage crops in the area [sc. Australia] concern the grasshopper Chortoicetes terminifera, the White Grub or Grass Root Beetle, Scitala pruinosa, and the Lucerne Flea.
2013 T. L. Watschke et al. Managing Turfgrass Pests (ed. 2) iii. 260 This stressed turf may be less tolerant of white grub or mole cricket feeding on the roots.
white heron n. [compare ancient Greek λευκερῳδιός spoonbill] †(a) the spoonbill Platalea leucorodia (obsolete rare); (b) (also great white heron) either of two herons with white plumage, the great egret, Ardea alba, found worldwide, and a great blue heron of the subspecies A. herodias occidentalis, of Florida and the Caribbean.
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the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Ciconiiformes (storks, etc.) > [noun] > family Ardeidae (herons and bitterns) > genus Ardea (heron) > miscellaneous types of
blue heron1565
white heron1575
blue heron1731
squacco1752
frog-catcher1782
purple heron1785
great blue1838
Goliath1860
the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Ciconiiformes (storks, etc.) > [noun] > family Ardeidae (herons and bitterns) > member of genus Egretta (miscellaneous) > egretta alba (great egret)
white heron1575
snowy heron1785
white egret1828
kotuku1846
1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 137 The flesh of the white Heron, otherwise called the Shoueler,..is of good disgestion and nourisheth well.
1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia v. 171 Many sorts of Fowles, as the gray and white Hearne.
1760 World Displayed XIV. 80 In the afternoon they took a turn, and in their way caught a white heron.
1833 P. J. Selby Illustr. Brit. Ornithol. II. 20 In the mature state, the Great White Heron is adorned with long plumes, which form a train, hanging over and beyond the tail.
1939 Florida: Guide to Southernmost State (Federal Writers' Project) i. 26 The great white heron, a Florida native, nests on the keys.
2011 T. J. Forrester Miracles, Inc. iv. 38 An animal thrashed, and a white heron shot upward and sailed out of sight.
† white-leaf frog n. Obsolete rare a South American tree frog, Dendropsophus leucophyllatus (family Hylidae), which has white or bright yellow markings on the back and legs.
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1802 G. Shaw Gen. Zool. III. 127 White-leaf Frog... Its colour is rufous above, variegated..with milk-white spots.
1823 Encycl. Brit. VIII. 284/2 (heading) Rana Leucophyllata, White-Leaf Frog.
white-neb n. English regional (northern) and rare the rook, Corvus frugilegus.
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1838 W. Holloway Gen. Dict. Provincialisms White-Neb,..a rook.
1901 Chambers's Jrnl. Apr. 244/2 The scabrous part of the rook's beak comes on after the first moult. From this strong mark on the bill rooks are often called ‘white-nebs’.
white-nose monkey n. now rare either of two African guenons with a prominent white nose, Cercopithecus nictitans and C. petaurista.
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1781 T. Pennant Hist. Quadrupeds I. 190 White Nose Monkey.
1870 J. G. Wood Animal Kingdom 48 The White-nose Monkey of Western Africa..is a curious little creature.
1957 Amer. Naturalist 91 277 (table) White nose or spotted nose monkey.
white owl n. any of several owls of a predominantly white colour, esp. the barn owl, Tyto alba, and the snowy owl, Nyctea scandiaca.
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the world > animals > birds > order Strigiformes or owl > [noun] > family Tytonidae > tyto alba (barn owl)
shritch?a1500
scritch owl1510
shritch-owl1538
strich1552
screech owl1567
shriek-owl1567
madge?1576
lich-owl1585
lich-fowl1611
jill-hooter1668
white owl1672
barn owl1674
church owl1678
aluco1753
padge1848
cherubim1864
squinch-owl1880
monkey-facec1940
1672 J. Josselyn New-Englands Rarities 12 The Owl, Avis devia, which are of three kinds; the great Gray Owl with Ears, the little Gray Owl, and the White Owl which is no bigger than a Thrush.
1770 G. White Let. 12 May in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 81 I have known a dove-house infested by a pair of white owls, which made great havock among the young pigeons.
1830 Ld. Tennyson Song Owl 7 Alone and warming his five wits, The white owl in the belfry sits.
1932 A. Bell Cherry Tree (1985) xiv. 182 All around stood the still trees, their nearest boughs just dipping in the light... Cock pheasants cackled in alarm; a white owl floated away.
2002 D. G. Smith Great Horned Owl i. 14 Also called the White Owl, the Snowy Owl averages 23 inches (58 centimeters) in length.
white partridge n. now chiefly historical = white grouse n.
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the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Tetraonidae (grouse) > [noun] > genus Lagopus > lagopus mutus (ptarmigan)
ptarmigan1599
white partridge1610
snow-hen1648
white game1678
lagopus1693
grey fowl1712
rype1744
white grouse1771
rock grouse1785
tanmerack1792
ripa1830
snow-grouse1884
lagopode1901
1610 W. Folkingham Feudigraphia i. iv. 9 Russia breeds white Beares and blacke Foxes, and Island white Partridges, Phesants, Faulcons, and Hares.
1747 G. Edwards Nat. Hist. Birds II. 72 The White Partridge..shaped much like a Partridge, except that its Tail is a little longer.
1839 Edinb. New Philos. Jrnl. 26 143 The lightning fell upon a white partridge which the guides had hung with a piece of pack-thread.
2009 P. C. Mancall Fatal Journey v. 114 During the first three months of their winter refuge the men had access to perhaps 1,200 white partridges.
white pelican n. either of two pelicans with white plumage, (more fully great white pelican) Pelecanus onocrotalus of the Old World, and (more fully American white pelican) P. erythrorhynchos of the New World.
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1725 H. Sloane Voy. Islands II. 322 This seem'd to be the same with the white Pelecan, only of a dark Colour.
1861 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 31 309 Seafowls—amongst them that stately bird, the white pelican—were wading over the mudflats.
1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo xx. 236 We once kept some American white pelicans in one of the lakes in the Park.
2006 I. Sinclair & I. Davidson Southern Afr. Birds (ed. 2) 22 The Great White Pelican may be confused only with the much smaller Pink-backed Pelican.
white perch n. chiefly U.S. any of various whitish or silvery perciform fishes of North America; esp. (a) a sea bass, Morone americana (family Moronidae), popular as a food and game fish; (b) the freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens (family Sciaenidae); (c) the white crappie, Pomoxis annularis (family Centrarchidae).
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1737 J. Brickell Nat. Hist. N.-Carolina 239 The second sort of Perch is call'd the white Perch because it is of a Silver colour.
1821 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. 10 35 Vast quantities of sea or white perch are taken in the fall of the year.
1883 C. Hallock Sportsman's Gaz. (rev. ed.) i. 311 Lake Sheepshead; white perch of the lakes; grunter; drum.—Haploidonotus grunniens [sic].—Raf.
1941 Guide Louisiana (Writers' Program) 673 An excellent fishing spot for..warmouth bass (locally called goggle-eye), and crappie, or ‘white perch’.
2004 ‘S. Rybaak’ Fishing Western N.Y. 62 Cast small plugs and spinners for white perch and rock bass in the spring.
white-point n. a migratory noctuid moth of Eurasia, Mythimna albipuncta, having a white dot on the brown forewing.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > Heterocera > [noun] > family Caradrinidae > leucania albipuncta
white-point1869
1869 E. Newman Illustr. Nat. Hist. Brit. Moths 475 The White-point (Leucania Albipuncta).
1907 R. South Moths Brit. Isles I. 312 The White-point (Leucania (Sideridis) albipuncta). This species..appears to have been confused with the following one.
2010 M. Archer et al. Bird Observatories Brit. & Ireland (Bird Observatories Council) 272 Major migrations..have involved such species as Convolvulus and Bedstraw Hawkmoths, Delicate, White-point, [etc.].
white rat n. an albino rat; (in later use) spec. an albino strain of the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, bred for use as a laboratory animal or as a pet; a rat of such a strain; also in extended use and figurative.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > order Rodentia or rodent > superfamily Myomorpha (mouse, rat, vole, or hamster) > [noun] > family Muridae > genus Rattus (rat) > other types of
rat1552
white rat1607
kiore1838
1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 519 Sometimes you shal see white Rats, as was once seene in Germany, taken in the middle of Aprill, hauing very red eyes standing forth of their head.
1850 J. Rodwell Rat i. 10 A colony of white rats was lately discovered in the Ainsworth Colliery.
1903 J. B. Watson Animal Educ. 5 In the fall of 1901 the writer undertook..to make a study of the psychical development of the white rat in correlation with the growth of its nervous system.
2006 J. T. Costa Other Insect Societies iii. 70 Earwigs have become something of a white rat of the insect world for studies of reproductive physiology.
white ragworm n. any of various whitish ragworms of the genus Nephtys, esp. N. caeca, commonly used as fishing bait.Also with unchanged plural.
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1865 G. Johnston Catal. Brit. Non-parasitical Worms Brit. Mus. 168 The white Rag-worm.
1882 Cassell's Nat. Hist. VI. 232 The White-rag Worm, or Lurg [Nephthys cæca], is common on the British shores, and varies from six to ten inches in length.
1965 A. Wrangles Newnes Compl. Guide Sea Angling 48/1 White ragworm are very often found when digging for lugworm in sand.
1998 M. Bentley in G. B. Corbet Nature of Fife vi. 58/2 The white ragworms, Nephtys caeca, N. hombergii, and N. cirrosa, are also common.
white rhino n. = white rhinoceros n.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) > [noun] > with hoof in more than two parts > family Rhinocerotidae > rhinoceros > ceratotherium simum (white rhino)
white rhinoceros1801
mohohu1842
white rhino1894
1894 Pall Mall Gaz. 12 Apr. 2/1 Count Teleki claims to have shot a white rhino in North-east Africa, not far I think from Kilimanjaro.
1981 P. Turnbull Deep & Crisp & Even vii. 125 He stuck out like a white rhino at a tea party.
2007 M. Renssen S. Afr. iii. 36 Ten white rhino were also introduced into the Limpopo National Park.
white rhinoceros n. a very large, two-horned rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, now mainly of southern Africa, having a wide, square upper lip.Not really distinguishable by means of colour from the black rhinoceros. [The semantic motivation is unclear; it has frequently been suggested that the name resulted from a misapprehension or folk-etymological alteration (by association with white adj.) of a supposed South African Dutch name with the first element wijd wide adj., with reference to the wide, square upper lip of the animal, but evidence for an application of Dutch wijd to this species of rhinoceros is lacking, and Afrikaans witrenoster, the formal parallel of the English compound, is itself after English. See further L. C. Rookmaaker ‘Why the name of the white rhinoceros is not appropriate’, in Pachyderm (2003) 34 88–93, and J. D. Skinner & C. T. Chimimba Mammals of Southern African Sub-Region (2005) 527.]
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) > [noun] > with hoof in more than two parts > family Rhinocerotidae > rhinoceros > ceratotherium simum (white rhino)
white rhinoceros1801
mohohu1842
white rhino1894
1801 J. Barrow Acct. Trav. Interior S. Afr. 1797–8 I. vi. 395 He boasted that, in one excursion, he had killed seven camelopardales and three white rhinoceroses.
1941 J. S. Huxley Uniqueness of Man viii. 184 The numerous creatures which would have become extinct but for vigorous protection..such as the..white rhinoceros.
2010 R. C. Buckley Conservation Tourism xii. 166/2 Khama Rhino Sanctuary currently supports a small but significant population of white rhinoceros.
white-rump n. any of various white-rumped birds, esp. (a) any of several similar female harriers ( Circus species) (cf. ringtail n. 1a) (now rare); (b) the wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (now rare); (c) the white-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis.
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the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > family Scolopacidae (snipes, etc.) > [noun] > member of genus Limosa (godwit) > other types
white-rump1795
marlin1831
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > family Muscicapidae (thrushes, etc.) > subfamily Turdinae > [noun] > oenanthe oenanthe (wheatear)
arlingc1000
clot-bird1544
smatch1544
steinchek1544
wheatear1591
whitetail1611
fallow-smiter1666
stone-check1668
stone-smatch1668
chucka1682
horse-match1736
stone-chatter1783
white-rump1795
snorter1802
clodhopper1834
stone-chacker1853
horse-masher1885
stone-clink1885
1795 T. Lord & Dr. Dupree Entire Syst. Ornithol. Pl. LXXXVIII The Ring Tailed Hawk, or White Rump.
1817 J. F. Stephens Shaw's Gen. Zool. X. 568 The White-rump has a very pretty song.
1888 G. Trumbull Names & Portraits Birds 209 Limosa hæmastica..[called] at West Barnstable, White-rump.
1915 Condor 17 102 The bird was taken..at an elevation about 1000 feet higher than that of the regular breeding range of the White-rump.
1989 R. S. Ridgely & G. Tudor Birds S. Amer. (2001) I. 55 Chilean Swallow is very similar [to the White-rumped Swallow]..but always seems to be truly blue above (never with the green sheen shown by many White-rumps).
2011 P. Dunne Arctic Autumn i. 12 When white-rumps and other shore birds arrive, they spread out.
white salmon n. any of various silvery or pale-fleshed salmon-like fishes: esp. (a) (in Great Britain and Ireland) the sea trout, Salmo trutta; (b) U.S. the largemouth black bass, Micropterus salmoides.
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1591 G. Fletcher Of Russe Common Wealth f. 11v They haue besides these that breed in the Volgha a fish called the Riba bela, or white salmon which they account more delicate then they do the redde salmon.
1876 Bull. Illinois State Lab. Nat. Hist. 1 75 White ‘Salmon.’ Wall-eyed Pike. Stizostethium canadense... A common perch,..a sun-fish (lchthelidae), a black bass (Micropterus salmoides).
1880–4 F. Day Fishes Great Brit. & Ireland II. 85 White-salmon..is locally known as..whiting, phinock, moudie-trout, silverwhite.
1936 Pop. Mech. July 144A/1 Among its many names are gray pike, ground pike, green pike, horse-eye pickerel, jack, Ohio pike, pickerel, jack salmon, salmon, white perch, white salmon and brook trout.
1956 E. Gunther tr. A. Krause Tlingit Indians (1970) vi. 121 For this purpose the white salmon is especially suitable.
2009 South China Morning Post (Nexis) 15 Oct. 14 White salmon..have a naturally occurring genetic predisposition that allows them to process the carotene in the food they eat instead of storing it in their bodies.
white shark n. the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.In quot. 1673, which refers to British waters, the sense is uncertain.
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the world > animals > fish > subclass Elasmobranchii > order Pleurotremata > [noun] > family Carcharinidae > member of genus Carcharias
white shark1673
lamia1728
Gangetic shark1879
sand-shark1882
1673 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Words 98 White Sharks.
1681 N. Grew Musæum Regalis Societatis i. 89 The Male or White Shark. Canis Carcharias mas. See the Description hereof in Rondeletius... They are found sometimes seven or eight yards in length, and more.
1836 Family Mag. Apr. 133/2 Notwithstanding the ferocity, and apparently insatiable appetite of the white shark, it is said they will not touch a fowl having the feathers on.
1902 Nebraska State Jrnl. 1 May 7/4 The sea-porcupine has been known to gnaw his way out of the stomach of the white shark.
2013 New Yorker 9 Sept. 44/2 Fish scientists describe white sharks as traumatogenic to humans, meaning capable of causing an injury.
white sheep n. North American Dall's sheep, Ovis dalli, a wild North American sheep found in mountainous country in the north west.
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1898 Forest & Stream 8 Oct. 286/2 Dall's Sheep. The White Sheep of Alaska. Ovis dalli (Nelson).
1952 Jrnl. Mammalogy 33 434 Caribou (Rangifer arcticus), white sheep (Ovis dalli), and moose (Alces) were available wolf prey species in Mt. McKinley National Park.
2001 R. A. Caras Perfect Harmony 57 O. dalli is the Dall sheep, also known as the white sheep, and is still found in Alaska and northern British Columbia.
† white sides n. Obsolete rare a variety of the small Eurasian moth Acleris cristana (family Tortricidae), having a white edge to the forewing.
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1832 J. Rennie Conspectus Butterflies & Moths Brit. 177 The White Sides (P[eronea] albicostana).
white slipper n. (also white slipper shell) any of several white-shelled slipper limpets of (or formerly of) the genus Crepidula.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > class Gastropoda > [noun] > superorder Branchifera > order Prosobranchiata > section Holostomata > limpet > member of family Acmaeidae
white slipper1860
slipper limpet1861
1860 P. P. Carpenter in Ann. Rep. Board of Regents Smithsonian Inst. 1859 203 The White Slipper is known..by its shaggy light-green skin.
1913 J. E. Rogers Shell Bk. ii. xxv. 150 The White Slipper (C. Lessonii, Brod.) is handsomest in the form that wears ruffles on its shell.
2004 S. B. Rothschild Beachcomber's Guide Gulf Coast Marine Life (ed. 3) x. 108/1 Crepidula planais..is a white slipper shell usually found inside shells occupied by hermit crabs.
white stork n. a large migratory stork, Ciconia ciconia, which breeds in parts of Europe, Africa, and western Asia, winters mainly in Africa, has predominantly white plumage with black wing feathers and a red bill and legs, and is noted for its large nest, frequently built on the roof of a building.
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1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 137 The flesh of a white Storke, and also of the blacke Storke, called (Saracinessa) is euill of nourishment, and hard to be endewed, and stinking.
1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. iii. ii. 286 The black Stork. Ciconia nigra. It is equal to the white Stork, or but little less than it.
1900 H. D. Astley My Birds in Freedom & Captivity xv. 227 Everyone who has been to parts of Holland, Sweden, and Germany, in the spring or summer time, cannot fail to notice the white storks; so conspicuous in the choice of nesting sites.
2010 RadioUser Apr. 33/1 White storks usually return to Poland between mid-March and early April.
white steenbras n. chiefly South African a silvery steenbras, Lithognathus lithognathus; (also) the white musselcracker, Sparodon durbanensis (see musselcracker n. 2).
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the world > animals > fish > miscellaneous types > [noun]
mudfish1502
sprat1552
frogfish1598
rockfish1605
yellowtaila1622
sleeper1668
picarel1688
hogfish1735
porkfish1735
sucker1753
zebrafish1771
yellowbelly1775
white steenbras1801
stone-toter1817
stargazer1842
warehou1848
baardman1853
goatfish1864
holostome1864
spot snapper1876
suck-fish1876
mademoiselle1882
queenfish1883
cigar-fish1884
emperor fish1884
rock beauty1885
oilfish1896
aholehole1897
berrugate1898
Photoblepharon1902
sweet-lip1934
rabbitfish1941
redbait1960
1801 J. Barrow Acct. Trav. Interior S. Afr. 1797–8 I. i. 30 Next to the Roman are the red and the white Steenbrassems.
1930 C. L. Biden Sea-Angling Fishes 257 Sparus durbanensis... East London—White Steenbras.
1974 Standard Encycl. Southern Afr. X. 263/2 White steenbras... One of the best-known angling-fishes in Southern Africa.
2013 Herald (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 8 Feb. The red steenbras is off the recreational list and the white steenbras is next..if we don't look out.
white sturgeon n. the sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus, which is the largest freshwater fish of North America and inhabits rivers on the West Coast; (also) the beluga sturgeon, Huso huso (now rare).
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1839 J. H. Lanman Hist. Mich. vii. 107 Among these [warriors] were Mahigam the Wolf; Wabanamy the White Sturgeon; [etc.].]
1850 Chinese Repository June 294 The most common kinds [of fish] are two species of carp.., barbels, the beluga or white sturgeon, and a kind of trout.
1868 T. F. Cronise Nat. Wealth Calif. 497 The first mentioned is called White Sturgeon, and is the largest fish sold in the markets.
1919 L. Pasvolsky tr. A. Kuprin Bracelet of Garnets 173 But Vanya Andrutzaki returned about noon, his long boat chock-full of the largest white sturgeon.
1941 New Washington (Federal Writers' Project) i. 13 The white sturgeon, of the Columbia, Snake, and Pend Oreille Rivers.., was once such a nuisance that an attempt was made to exterminate it.
2003 High Country News 29 Sept. 19/2 I have met old-timers..who used to catch white sturgeon by setting massive trotlines in a deep river hole and anchoring them to trees.
white trout n. any of various silvery trout-like fishes: esp. (a) a salmonid, spec. (in Great Britain and Ireland) the sea trout, Salmo trutta, and (in North America) the lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush; (b) U.S. a weakfish of the genus Cynoscion; (c) U.S. a black bass of the genus Micropterus.
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a1641 J. Smyth Berkeley MSS (1885) III. 319 The Salmon, wheat trout or suen.
1737 J. Brickell Nat. Hist. N.-Carolina (1911) 234 The Salt-Water Trouts, commonly called the White Trouts, are exactly shaped like the Trouts with us.
1820 C. S. Rafinesque Ichthyologia Ohiensis 32 Trout River-bass. Lepomis salmonea... Vulgar names White Trout.., Black Bass, Black Pearch, &c.
1875 G. C. Scott Fishing in Amer. Waters 258 The White Trout... This trout inhabits Schoodic and Grand Lakes in the State of Maine.
1996 S. Hein et al. Fisherman's Guide Common Coastal Fishes Louisiana 34 Sand Seatrout (White Trout, Sand Trout)—Cynoscion arenarius... Normally confused with silver seatrout and both referred to as white trout.
2010 Kerryman (Nexis) 13 Jan. Sea trout or white trout were everywhere all those years ago, now they are almost extinct from our fishery.
white tuna n. chiefly U.S. (a) the flesh of the albacore tuna, Thunnus alalunga; the fish itself; (b) the somewhat similar (and potentially toxic) flesh of the escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum.
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1914 Pacific Fisherman Year Bk. 77/1 The canning of the California white Tuna, or Albicore, as it is commonly known, was first begun about six years ago.
1991 Texas Monthly Dec. 217/2 Wood-grilled escolar (a type of white tuna) on black-bean sauce.
2001 E. Franckx Fisheries Enforcement F.A.O. Legislative Study 71 39 The Order applies to Spanish fishing vessels engaged in the fishing of red tunas (thunnus thynnus) or white tunas (thunnus alalunga) in waters under sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member States of the European Union.
2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 16 July d9/4 For starters Mr. Pollinger uses white tuna, then studs it with..Thai basil and finger chilies.
white wagtail n. a Eurasian wagtail, Motacilla alba, the typical form of which has grey and white plumage with a black and white head.The pied wagtail of Britain is a subspecies of this.
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1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. ii. 237 (heading) The white Wagtail: Motacilla alba.
1793 J. Leslie tr. Comte de Buffon Nat. Hist. Birds V. 241 The White Wagtail (Lavandiere) has often been confounded with the other kinds (Bergeronettes).
1896 Auk 13 305 This was a White Wagtail, who was picking his way over the upturned soil, walking with dainty steps.
2011 Wildlife Brit. (new ed.) 145 The mainland European form [of the Pied Wagtail], the White Wagtail, is a scarce migrant in spring and autumn in the British Isles.
white worm n. now rare = white grub n.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Coleoptera or beetles and weevils > [noun] > Polyphaga (omnivorous) > superfamily Lamellicornia Scarabaeoidea > family Scarabaeidae > genus Melolontha > larva of cockchafer
white grub1496
whitebait1681
ton1693
turk1712
rook worma1722
white worm1724
earth-lard1801
grass grub1854
1660 tr. R. Arnauld d'Andilly Manner of ordering Fruit-trees ii. 17 The dung breeds in the ground great white Worms, which eat the roots of the Plant, and cause it to die.]
1724 J. Saunders Compl. Fisherman 230 The Bob, Earth Bob, White Worm, White Bait, Grub, these are all the same, and are neither more or less than a common Earth Grub.
1883 J. G. Wood in Longman's Mag. Dec. 169 The terrible larva of the cockchafer, called, par excellence, the Grub, and sometimes known as the White Worm.
1939 B. Newman Maginot Line Murder iii. 75 It's the worms they are after, especially the cockchafer grubs that play havoc with a field. Folks aren't logical when they complain of the white worm.
(b)
(i) In names of plants distinguished by white or pale parts or products, and in names of such products.See also white ash n.1, whitebeam n., white gum n.2, etc.
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OE Brussels Gloss. in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 297 Bucstalmum [read Buoftalmum], hwit mægeðe.
OE Antwerp-London Gloss. (2011) 77 Brionia, wild cyrfet uel hwit wingeard.
c1300 Bot. Gloss. (BL Add. 15236) l. 168 in Pluteus (1990) 4–5 113 Mentastrum, g. mentastre, a. wyth mynte.
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. liii. 945 Yvy is double kynde, white and blak... Þe white yvy haþ white fruyt and þe blak haþ blak.
a1500 Agnus Castus (Laud) (1950) 199 (MED) Pes corui siluaticis is an herbe þat me clepuþ white crowfoot; þis herbe haþ leues lich to rammesfeet..and a white flour and a reed stalk.
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. xxviii. 180 There be two kindes of water Lyllies..the yellow, and the white.
1727 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Oeconomique (Dublin ed.) at Apple The White Calville, is white both within and without; its Taste is more delicious than that of the red, for which reason 'tis more valued.
1898 Garden 21 May 424/2 The white Honesty (Lunaria) is now in flower and is very decorative in the wild garden.
1921 Jrnl. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc. 60 299 In districts infested with the white loco (Oxytropis lamberti) the loss far exceeds all other losses combined.
2008 M. Little et al. Org. Tobacco Growing iv. 97 Populations of nematodes (tiny, underground pests) are reduced by growing white vetch, which doesn't host them.
(ii)
white acajou n. now rare (a) the cashew, Anacardium occidentale; (also) a medicinal preparation made from the fruits of this tree; (b) a tropical African tree with pale wood, Khaya anthotheca (family Meliaceae); the wood of this tree.
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1764 J. Grainger Sugar-cane i. 8 The golden shaddoc, the forbidden fruit, The white acajou, and rich sabbaca.
1860 L. McLeod Trav. Eastern Afr. II. 309 Notes on the Woods of the Seychelles... The white acajou.
1937 E. P. Stebbing Forests W. Afr. & Sahara viii. 81 Amongst the species raised in the early days of the nursery were the white Acajou, Khaya anthotheca.
1990 D. Walcott Omeros iii. 18 She rose from her corner window, and she laid out the usual medicine for him, a flask of white acajou, and a jar of yellow Vaseline.
white alder n. (a) an alder, esp. Alnus rhombifolia, of western North America; (b) the South African tree Platylophus trifoliatus (family Cunoniaceae); (c) a white-flowering shrub of moist habitats, Clethra alnifolia (family Clethraceae) native to eastern North America; also called sweet pepperbush.
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1746 T. Short Medicina Britannica 200 For hard Swellings, He says, that green Leaves of white Alder, applied, discuss the Swelling, and check the Inflammation.
1770 R. Weston Universal Botanist I. 22 Alnus alba... White alder.
1822 W. J. Burchell Trav. I. 143 The name of Witte Elze (White Alder) is applied to another tree (Weinmannia trifoliata) which naturally grows in the same kind of places as the common Alder.
1862 Smithsonian Misc. Coll. 65 Clethra alnifolia.—White alder, or sweet pepperbush.
1920 Amer. Botanist 61 The plant commonly regarded as best entitled to the name ‘white alder’ is Clethra alnifolia. The generic name of this plant is said to have been the ancient Greek name for the alder and the common names have followed the scientific for some thousands of years.
1995 R. M. Pyle Where Bigfoot Walks viii. 87 A white alder wood leaned in toward the road.
2012 Argus Weekend (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 2 Dec. 5 The Knysna Forest is the largest indigenous forest in South Africa, and is filled with a wide selection of established trees, including yellowwood, stinkwood, white alders, blackwood, ironwood and Cape chestnut.
white alyssum n. sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima, esp. in its white-flowered form.
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1778 N. Swinden Beauties of Flora Display'd (end matter) (advt.) The White Allison also bears great heat, without drooping.
1827 E. Bevan Honey-bee i. iv. 56 The earliest resources of the bee are the willow,..and the plane...To these may be added the snowdrop, the crocus, white alyssum, [etc.].
1899 Daily News 15 Apr. 8/2 Perhaps..you will find some early polyanthuses and some white alyssum in flower in the north-western suburbs.
1951 People 3 June 7/7 (advt.) White Alyssum, Blue Lobelia, Giant Asters (Ostrich Name) 1/6 per doz.
2008 Times Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) (Nexis) 2 Aug. (Homes section) e4 White alyssum can make a dramatic addition to the garden.
white archangel n. the white dead-nettle, Lamium album.
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a1425 in T. Hunt Plant Names Medieval Eng. (1989) 33 [Archangelica alba] whyt archangele.
1633 T. Johnson Gerard's Herball (new ed.) ii. cxxxv. 702 White Archangell hath foure square stalkes, a cubit high, leaning this way and that way.
1828 T. Forster Circle of Seasons 19 The White Archangel much resembles our common Dead Nettle, only that the flower is white, instead of red.
2014 M. Starr Unquiet Bones iv. 51 I had used much white archangel and moneywort to staunch the bleeding of the woodman's scalp.
white asparagus n. (a) a small evergreen shrub with whitish stems, Asparagus albus (family Asparagaceae), native to parts of southern Europe and North Africa; (b) shoots of edible asparagus ( A. officinalis) blanched by cultivation in the absence of light (usually by being earthed up).
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1780 J. T. Dillon Trav. Spain ii. 252 Torre Campos..extends four square leagues..amidst hills, covered with oak, gum cistus, lavender, and white asparagus.
1829 Casket Feb. 9 Jelinottes and white asparagus.
1995 Weed Technol. 9 617 (table) Asparagus albus, white asparagus.
2007 Independent 20 Apr. (Extra section) 5/2 This year, Germany suffered a shortage of white asparagus after the introduction of new labour laws requiring 20 per cent of pickers to be German.
white bean n. any of various beans of a white colour, esp. any of several white varieties of haricot bean; cf. cannellini n., haricot blanc at haricot n. 2.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > pulses or plants producing pulses > [noun] > bean > other types of bean
white bean1542
penny bean?1550
black bean1569
garence1610
mung1611
calavance1620
red bean1658
lablab1670
Cajan1693
dal1698
bonavist1700
tick-bean1744
tick1765
toker1786
mash1801
Lima beana1818
stick bean1823
Canavalia1828
moth1840
cow-pea1846
Lima1856
asparagus pea1859
towcok1866
Java bean1868
wall1884
Rangoon bean1903
Madagascar bean1909
1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca at Faba Pythagorica In the olde tyme the consente of people was declared by beanes, whiche yet dothe remayne at Venyce.., for by white beanes thynges are affyrmed, by blacke beanes they are denyed or refusyd.
1671 J. Blagrave Astrol. Pract. Physick 6 By the Herbal I find, that violets, spinage, white beets, white beans, and such like, are all under the dominion of Venus.
1866 S. Robinson Facts for Farmers II. xv. 1001 We affirm that there is no crop grown that can be cured easier than white beans.
2010 Time Out N.Y. 20 May 32/1 Selections one morning included plump organic white beans and kale topped with a fried egg.
white beech n. (a) the pale wood of any of various beech trees; (also) a tree producing such wood, esp. the American beech, Fagus grandifolia (now rare); (b) Australian the pale wood of any of several tropical trees of the genus Gmelina (family Lamiaceae); (also) a tree producing such wood, esp. G. leichhardtii of eastern Australia.
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1637 T. Morton New Eng. Canaan ii. ii. 63 Beech there is of two sorts, redd and white.]
1702 R. Neve Apopiroscopy i. 34 The whitest Wood, and such as the Grain is least visible in, is fitest for this purpose; as Aspen, Abel, Sycamore, Maple or good white Beech.
1871 Sydney Morning Herald 28 Sept. 5/5 There is a great variety in the timber; the black-apple, red ash..white beech.
1913 C. H. Otis Michigan Trees 93 Beech. White Beech... Fagus grandifolia.
1985 Jrnl. Animal Ecol. 54 510 Drosophila pseudotakahashii..is absent from both collections of white beech (Gmelina leichhardtii).
2008 Wisconsin State Jrnl. 13 July (Slumberland Furniture Suppl.) 5 (advt.) Oak veneers and white beech solids in amber or black finish.
white beet n. (a) a beetroot that is white in colour; a plant producing such a root; cf. red beet n. at red adj. and n. Compounds 1e(d); (b) spinach beet or Swiss chard; cf. silver beet n. at silver n. and adj. Compounds 2e(b).
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the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > vegetables > root vegetable > [noun] > beet or beetroot
beetc1000
red beet1541
white beet1542
beetroot1597
beet-raves1719
blood-beet1818
spinach beet1842
1542 A. Borde Compend. Regyment Helth xx. sig. k.i Whyte Beetes be good for the lyuer.
1775 tr. Valuable Secrets Arts & Trades xvi. 302 Incorporate all together with a sufficient quantity of the juice from the leaves of white beet.
1842 J. C. Loudon Suburban Horticulturist 658 The spinach beet, leaf beet, or white beet, Beta cicla,..a native of the sea-shores of Spain and Portugal.
2008 J. Cox Org. Food Shopper's Guide ii. 44/1 White beets have their decorative uses but aren't very flavorful.
† white bind n. Obsolete = whitebine n.
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1712 J. Mortimer Art of Husbandry: Pt. II 224 There is another sort of the white Bind which is ripe a Week or ten Days before the common.
1805 R. W. Dickson Pract. Agric. II. 744 There is only one species of this plant [sc. hop] in cultivation, but which has several varieties, as the red-bind, the green-bind, the white-bind, etc.
1863 Our Children's Mag. Oct. 147 They are distinguished by the colour of the bind... There is the red bind, the green bind, the white bind, and some others.
whitebine n. now chiefly historical any cultivated variety of hop having a pale stem; cf. earlier white bind n., and white vine n. (b).
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > hop-plant
hop1538
hop-vine1707
bine1732
red bine1763
Golding1794
whitebine1798
green bind1805
hop-plant1817
grape hop1838
fuggle1898
1798 W. Marshall Rural Econ. Southern Counties I. 397 In 1795, the white bines were almost wholly cut off.
1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 602/1 Several varieties are known, the finest of which are the White Bines, the Goldings, and the Grapes.
1901 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 62 70 From seeds of the best Whitebine variety originate plants having red, dark-green, or pale-green bines.
2012 Oxf. Compan. Beer 339/2 The hop [sc. Farnham] is widely mentioned in connection with early India pale ales and was almost certainly a very close relative of the Canterbury Whitebine and Mathon Whitebine.
white birch n. North American the paper birch of North America, Betula papyrifera, which has white, peeling bark.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > birch and allies > [noun]
bircha700
birch-tree1530
weeping birch1606
Our Lady's tree1608
black birch1674
sugar-birch1751
white birch1766
red birch1774
yellow birch1774
paper birch1791
canoe birch1810
mountain mahogany1810
old field birch1810
mahogany birch1813
towai1845
river birch1846
kamahi1867
silver birch1884
wire birch1899
1766 Jrnl. House of Representatives Massachusetts-Bay (1973) 59 The Lands..running East as the Compass now stands, eleven Hundred and twenty Poles to a white Birch Tree.
1875 T. W. Higginson Young Folks' Hist. U.S. iii. 17 The canoe was made of the bark of the white-birch.
1961 H. MacLennan Rivers of Canada 48 Otherwise nothing but the immense low forest of spruce with the occasional splash of white birch.
2006 Vermont Life Autumn 13 I see the oxblood-colored bark of the red osier dogwoods shining against the white birch.
white box n. Australian either of two evergreen trees of Australia, Bursaria spinosa (family Pittosporaceae), which bears clusters of fragrant white flowers, and Eucalyptus albens (family Myrtaceae), which has glaucous leaves.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > Australasian trees > [noun] > names applied to various Australasian species
pepper tree1773
apple tree1801
white boxc1830
Christmas tree1844
mapau1853
maple1858
leopard-wood1859
red ash1863
sycamore1866
New Zealand orange tree1898
five-finger1926
leopard-tree1927
maple1934
c1830 R. Porter Eumalga 11/1 These gunyahs, or huts, were formed by sticking two forked sticks in the ground..and leaning against them sheets of bark stripped from the white box.
1909 A. E. Mack Bush Cal. 67 Flowers blooming [in January]. Bursaria spinosa. White box or black thorn.
2005 D. Lindenmayer & M. A. Burgman Pract. Conservation Biol. 95/1 The Box–Gum woodlands of the south-west slopes of New South Wales are mixtures of White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely's Red Gum.
white broom n. any of several white-flowered brooms, esp. Cytisus albus, native to the Mediterranean region.
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1597 J. Gerard Herball iii. xv. 1132 The white Broome groweth likewise in Spaine and other hot regions; it is a stranger in England.
1793 J. Aikin & A. L. Barbauld Evenings at Home III. 90 We have some bushes of white broom in the shrubbery.
1912 H. H. Thomas Garden at Home xxiv. 164 The white Broom, too (Cytisus albus), is very beautiful.
2004 R. George Treading Grapes 149 The woods were dense with oak trees, and the track lined with white broom.
† white bush n. Obsolete hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna; cf. whitethorn n.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > thorny berry-bush > [noun] > hawthorn and allies
hawthorna700
hawthorn-treec1290
whitethorna1300
haw-treec1325
albespyne?a1425
thorn-tree1483
mespilus1548
may-branch1560
quickthorn1571
hedge-bush1576
busket1579
May-bush1579
Neapolitan medlar1597
azarole1658
pyracanth1664
white bush1676
Glastonbury thorna1697
quick1727
evergreen thorn1731
blackthorn1737
whitethorn1788
oriental medlar1797
haw1821
May-haw1840
Maythorn1844
May1848
pear thorn1848
pink thorn1852
aronia thorn1882
scarlet thorn1882
black haw1897
1676 M. Cook Manner of raising Forrest-trees xxxii. 97 If you would make a Fence of one particular sort of Wood, the very best is your White-bush, or White-thorn.
1704 L. Meager Compl. Eng. Gardner (ed. 10) 48 Medlar trees are encreased only by Grafting, either on the Pear-stock..or on Quince-stocks; also on the White-bush or Hawthorn.
1859 Farmer's Mag. Mar. 136/2 It appears to be generally agreed that white bush, or quick, is the best to procure a good live fence.
white cabbage n. (a) a common cultivar of the cabbage Brassica oleracea, with a firm, very pale green head of leaves, commonly used as a vegetable, in salads, and for pickling; (b) the Chinese cabbage, a cultivar of the turnip, Brassica rapa. [With sense (b) compare Chinese (Mandarin)báicài , (Cantonese) baahk choi , lit. ‘white vegetable’ (see pe-tsai n. and bok choy n.).]
ΚΠ
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball v. vi. 553 Some kindes, especially the white Cabbage Cole [Fr. le Chou cabu blanc, Du. die witte sluytkoolen], or lefed Colewurtes, is also sowen in August, and planted againe in Nouember.
1605 J. Mosan tr. C. Wirsung Gen. Pract. Physick 3rd Index sig. Hhh7/1 Brassica, Cabbage or Colewoort. Brassica alba, White Cabbage [Ger. Weißkoele].
1766 Ann. Reg. 8 148/2 There are four species that may be cultivated to great advantage for cattle; to wit, the white cabbage, the hardy curled Savoy cabbage, the turnip cabbage, and the green curled cabbage.
1824 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Gardening (ed. 2) 684 The White cabbage of China (Brassica, sp.?), used both as a pot-herb and a salad... and the wild cabbage of America..might be grown for similar purposes in this country.
1991 Amer. Horticulturist Nov. 15/1 Pak choi (B. rapa var. chinesis ), a white cabbage also tolerates temperatures well below freezing.
2001 J. McGowan Echoes Savage Land (2006) ii. 48 The narrative goes on to describe the food, ‘mighty slices of bacon or roast beef reposing on beds of white cabbage’.
white campion n. a Eurasian campion with scented white flowers, Silene latifolia (formerly and sometimes still included in the genus Lychnis); cf. red campion n. at red adj. and n. Compounds 1e(d).
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Caryophyllaceae (chickweeds and allies) > [noun] > campion and ragged robin
cow-rattle14..
campion1576
behen1578
crowsoap1578
white campion1578
catchfly1597
feather-top wild campion1597
frothy poppy1597
lime-wort1597
nonsuch1597
sea campion1597
spattling poppy (also campion)1597
Greek rose1601
lychnis1601
knap-bottle1640
moss pink1641
Lobel's catchfly1664
red robin1678
moss campion1690
red campion1728
round robin1741
Silene1751
Nottingham catchfly1762
silenal1836
Robin Hood1844
thunder-flower1853
gunpowder weed1860
sea-catchfly1864
robin redbreast1880
poppy1886
thunderbolt1886
rattleweed1893
cancer1896
bladder-campion-
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. x. 158 The wilde white Campion hath a rough white stemme.
1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scotica I. 240 [Lychnis dioica] White Campion, the female. Red Campion, the male. Anglis.
1911 G. Allen Plants 31 But it [sc. red campion] has a close relation, the white campion, which flowers by night only, and lays itself out to be visited by moths in the twilight.
2003 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 7 June 15 The campions that send me are white campion and bladder campion.
white cedar n. (a) any of several North American coniferous trees, esp. Chamaecyparis thyoides and Thuja occidentalis; (also) the wood of any of these trees; (b) any of various tropical trees of South and South-East Asia and Australia, esp. Melia azedarach (see azedarac n. 1) and Melia dubia (family Meliaceae).Quot. 1463-5 probably shows an error for White Ledur whitleather n. rather than an earlier example of this compound.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > conifers > cedar and allies > [noun]
cedarc1000
cedar-treec1000
fir-cedar1601
white cedar1654
arbor vitae1664
Thuya1707
thuja1764
American arbor vitae1785
Honduras cedar1799
Cedrela1832
kawaka1832
deodar1842
stinking cedar1866
stinking yew1866
Alaska cedar1874
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > [noun] > azedarac
white cedar1654
bead-tree1668
azedarac1753
Melia1753
pride of China1778
pride of India1803
margosa1813
neema1819
China-tree1819
sandal-tree1864
holy tree1866
China-berry1890
1463–5 Acct. in Berks, Bucks & Oxon Archæol. Jrnl. (1904) 10 107 (MED) We payde for White Cedur to mende ye bawdrykes of ye bell..vi d.]
1654 E. Johnson Hist. New-Eng. viii. 15 They run with their light cannowes, (which are a kinde of Boates made of Birch Rindes, and sowed together with the rootes of white Cedar-Trees).
1709 J. Lawson New Voy. Carolina 89 Ever-Greens are here plentifully found, of a very quick Growth, and pleasant Shade; Cypress, or White Cedar, the Pitch Pine, the yellow Pine.
1847 F. W. L. Leichhardt Jrnl. Overland Exped. Austral. iii. 60 The white cedar (Melia Azedarach).
1856 F. L. Olmsted Journey Slave States 151 The main production [of the Great Dismal Swamp] has been of cypress and juniper, the latter commonly known as white cedar, at the North.
1908 E. J. Banfield Confessions of Beachcomber i. i. 20 The white cedar..is a welcome and not unworthy substitute in appearance and perfume for English lilac.
1980 P. Moyes Angel Death xi. 148 A fallen tree—a biggish white cedar with a trunk about a foot in diameter.
2006 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 27 July 19 A coral tree and a white cedar are very large for the space and will definitely upset those neighbours.
white clover n. a low-growing clover with white flowers, Trifolium repens, native to western Eurasia but now widely planted to improve grassland for grazing and forage crops; (frequently with distinguishing word) any of various cultivated varieties of this.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > leguminous plants > [noun] > clover or trefoil
white clovereOE
cloverc1000
hare-foota1300
clerewort?a1400
clover-grassa1400
three-leaved grass14..
trefoilc1400
sucklingc1440
four-leaved grassc1450
trefle1510
Trifolium?1541
trinity grass1545
Dutch1548
lote1548
hare's-foot1562
lotus1562
triple grass1562
blain-grass1570
meadow trefoil1578
purple grass1597
purplewort1597
satin flower1597
cithyse1620
true-love grass?a1629
garden balsam1633
hop-clover1679
Burgundian hay1712
strawberry trefoil1731
honeysuckle trefoil1735
red clover1764
buffalo-clover1767
marl-grass1776
purple trefoil1785
white trefoil1785
yellow trefoil1785
sulla1787
cow-grass1789
strawberry-bearing trefoil1796
zigzag trefoil1796
rabbit's foot1817
lotus grass1820
strawberry-headed trefoil1822
mountain liquorice1836
hop-trefoil1855
clustered clover1858
alsike1881
mountain clover1882
knop1897
Swedish clover1908
sub clover1920
four-leaf clover1927
suckle-
eOE Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) iii. xxxiii. 326 Nim sigelhweorfan & hwiteclæfran wisan & wudurofan, do on gode butran.
a1300 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 556/l. 33 (MED) Trifolium, i. trifoil, i. wite clouere.
1625 G. Markham Inrichm. Weald of Kent 13 It will beare a very good and sweet Pasture, well set with a white Clouer.
1790 S. Deane New-Eng. Farmer 58/2 Red and white clover are the only sorts known and esteemed in this country.
1909 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. Eng. 70 328 The two years' produce of the Dutch White Clover came to 7 tons..green produce per acre, that of Mammoth White Clover to 6 tons.
2004 G. Logsdon All Flesh is Grass iii. 40 His pasture crops are mainly improved varieties of ryegrass, white clover, and fescue.
white corn n. †(a) any Old World cereal crop or grain (cf. white crop n. at Compounds 1f) (obsolete.); (b) a variety of maize having white kernels; maize of this kind.
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?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xvv The sherers of all maner of white corne.
1613 G. Markham Eng. Husbandman: 1st Pt. Former Pt. x. sig. I3 This of Husbandmen is called Inam-wheate or Inam-rye, that is, white corne sowne after white-corne, as Barley after Barley.
1780 A. Young Tour Ireland (Dublin ed.) I. 197 Pease esteemed a refreshment, and enables them to have one or two crops of white corn.
1805 R. Parkinson Tour in Amer. II. xv. 329 The white corn is much higher than the yellow.
1922 Amer. Swineherd May 10/3 A ration of only white corn and skimmilk is not a safe combination for young pigs not on pasture.
2002 Philadelphia Inquirer 15 Dec. m7/4 We passed a roadside stand selling watermelon, peaches or okra instead of the white corn and Jersey tomatoes we're used to back home.
white currant n. the translucent whitish fruit of a group of varieties of redcurrant; a plant of such a variety.
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1629 J. Parkinson Paradisi in Sole iii. ii. 560 The white Currans, by reason of the more pleasant winie taste, are more accepted and desired.
1863 Jrnl. Hort., Cottage Gardener, & Country Gentleman 8 July 22/2 Red and White Currants were abundant.
2007 D. V. Alford Pests Fruit Crops 81/1 This aphid causes characteristic reddish or purplish blisters on the leaves of red currant and white currant.
white dammar n. a yellowish-white resin obtained from the tree Vateria indica (family Dipterocarpaceae) of southern India.
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1851 Official Descriptive & Illustr. Catal. Great Exhib. I. 159/1 White Dammar.—Sumatra.
1911 Spatula Apr. 392/1 English vermilion dry, if mixed in white dammar varnish makes a splendid red for oil cloth.
2006 Biotropica 38 151/1 The presently studied five forest fragments harbor economically important tree species such as V. indica (for white dammar & timber).
white darnel n. a long-awned grass, Lolium temulentum, which is an arable weed; = darnel n. 1.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants perceived as weeds or harmful plants > poisonous or harmful plants > [noun] > darnel
cockleOE
drakea1325
darnelc1325
raya1398
popplea1425
ivray1578
white darnel1597
sturdy1683
roseager1692
drunken rye-grass1891
1597 J. Gerard Herball i. l. 71 (caption) Lolium album... White Darnell.
1844 G. Emerson Johnson's Farmer's Encycl. (new ed.) 400/1 Mr. Pitt, indeed, names his darnel white darnel, but immediately calls it L. temulentum.
1914 Bull. Agric. Exper. Station Univ. Minnesota No. 139 15 Darnel (Lolium temulentum L.)... Other common names: Ivray, cheat, chess, poison darnel, bearded darnel, tare, neale poison rye grass, and white darnel.
2007 A. McDonald Hist. Ecol. Grassland Upper Thames Valley vi. 87/1 This ryegrass is sometimes called darnel and must not be confused with white darnel (Lolium temulentum) which is an introduced annual weed of cereal crops and threshed grain.
white dead-nettle n. a white-flowered perennial dead-nettle of northern Europe, Lamium album.
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1605 J. Mosan tr. C. Wirsung Gen. Pract. Physick 3rd Index sig. Hhh5/1 Anonium album, the white dead nettle, or Archangell.
1861 R. Bentley Man. Bot. i. iv. 213 The Verticillaster.—This kind of cyme is seen in the White Dead-nettle.
2013 Guardian (Nexis) 23 Nov. 61 Other tough flowers are the white dead-nettle, with clusters of hooded white flowers, and its close cousin the red dead-nettle.
white dog rose n. now rare the field rose, Rosa arvensis, which resembles the dog rose ( R. canina) but has white flowers.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > thorn-tree or -bush > brier or wild rose-bush > [noun]
brierc1000
eglaterea1400
eglantinec1400
hound's thornc1420
dogberry1527
dog-briar1530
sweet-briar1538
brier-bush1562
dog bramble1567
canker1582
dog rose1597
canker rose1606
dog-thorn1694
cynorrhodon1706
bramble-rose1713
Scotch rose1731
white dog rose1770
brier-rose1810
bull-brier1860
missionary1881
burnet-rose1884
1770 J. Berkenhout Outl. Nat. Hist. Great Brit. & Ireland II. 141 White Dog-Rose. Differs from the last in being a less shrub, with rounder fruit, and white flowers.
1820 London Jrnl. Arts & Sci. 1 149 It [sc. the Ayrshire rose] is an exotic species, and nearly allied to the rosa arvensis, or white dog-rose.
1997 R. J. Favretti & J. P. Favretti Landscapes & Gardens for Hist. Buildings (ed. 2) iii. 137 Rosa arvensis... White Dog Rose.
white dogwood n. (a) the dogwood Cornus florida, of eastern North America, which has large, white, flower-like bracts, or the wood of this tree; (in early use also) †an American dogwood having leaves with white, downy undersides (not identified) (obsolete); (b) the Jamaica dogwood Piscidia piscipula (cf. dogwood n. 2), or the wood of this tree (now rare).
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1818 A. Eaton Man. Bot. (ed. 2) 217 White dogwood... About 10 feet high, with red branches.
1856 Rep. Paris Univ. Exhib. I. 512 No. 78.—Botanical name, Piscidia Erythrina... Aboriginal and Local name, White Dogwood.
1913 Hardwood Rec. 10 Jan. 33/1 Piscidia erythrina... This valuable tree grows also in Cuba and Jamaica, where it affords an excellent timber known as Jamaica or white dogwood.
1997 R. L. Smith Appalachian Dulcimer Trad. vi. 123 Edd carved decorative patterns and motifs on the tops and fret boards of his dulcimers..and even inlaid flowers made of white dogwood.
2007 Ploughshares Spring 145 At this time in May it's dazzling with white dogwood.
white elm n. either of two elms having leaves with pale, downy undersides, the American elm, Ulmus americana, and (in full European white elm) U. laevis of central and eastern Europe; (also) the wood of either of these elms.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > elms > [noun]
wycheOE
elmc1000
ulm-treec1000
witch hazela1400
all-heart1567
ulme1567
white elm1580
wych elm1582
witchen1594
weeping elm1606
trench-elm1676
smooth-leaved elm1731
witch elm1731
water elm1733
slippery elm1748
Scotch elm1769
wahoo1770
American elm1771
red elm1805
witches' elm1808
moose elm1810
cork-elm1813
rock elm1817
swamp elm1817
planer tree1819
Jersey elm1838
winged elm1858
sand elm1878
Exeter-elm1882
1580 J. Florio tr. J. Cartier Shorte Narr. Two Nauigations Newe Fraunce 13 We founde them to be..Pines, white Elmes, Ashes, Willowes, with manye other sortes of trees to vs vnknowen.
1770 J. R. Forster tr. P. Kalm Trav. N. Amer. I. 67 Ulmus Americana, the white elm.
1861 Trans. Illinois State Agric. Soc. 1859–60 4 451 The White Elm..is not good timber—is hard to split.
1981 Sci. Amer. Aug. 40/3 Most European elms, including the European white elm (U. laevis), the English elm (U. procera) and..U. carpinifolia are also susceptible.
2007 Internat. Jrnl. Plant Sci. 168 548/1 Sugar maple..and white elm (Ulmus americana L.) were chosen for this study.
white fir n. †(a) a European coniferous tree (perhaps the silver fir Abies alba, or the Norway spruce, Picea abies) (obsolete rare); (b) any of various North American coniferous trees, (in later use) spec. Abies concolor of the south-western United States.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > conifers > [noun] > fir-tree
spurch1295
firc1381
fir-treea1382
mast tree1597
white fir1605
Scotch fir1673
silver fir1707
Scotchman1807
fir balsam1810
Alpine fir1819
deal treea1825
pinsapo1839
fir-pine1843
red fir1852
grand fir1874
mountain balsam1878
Shasta fir1897
Santa Lucia fir1905
1605 J. Mosan tr. C. Wirsung Gen. Pract. Physick 2nd Index sig. Fff1v The first is the common firre tree, which of the Simplicists is called the white firre tree [G. weiss Thannen], or abies candida.
1749 Rep. Comm. Hudson's Bay 22 The trees there are all white Fir, but do not produce Turpentine, nor are they fit for Masts.
1850 A. J. Allen Ten Years in Oregon v. 52 They found the red and white fir, spoken of by Clark and Lewis.
1948 Pacific Discov. Mar. 7/2 Sequoias become established most easily..on cool north and east slopes with sugar pine and white fir.
2007 M. Gloss Hearts of Horses (2008) xxii. 188 They..began climbing through an open country of pine and spruce and white fir.
white guava n. a guava tree ( Psidium guajava) having fruits with white flesh; (also) the fruit of such a tree; cf. red guava n. at red adj. and n. Compounds 1e(d).
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1725 H. Sloane Voy. Islands II. 163 The large, white Guava. This Tree is in every thing the same with the red Guava, only the Fruit is somewhat larger and white within.
1838 Paxton's Mag. Bot. 4 39 The White Guava (P. pyriferum) grows to a fine little shrub in the West Indies.
1910 Pure Products May 248 The pink color of guava jelly does not seem to depend on any pink color in the flesh of the fruit, though the white guavas yield a lighter jelly.
2010 Prince George (Brit. Columbia) Citizen (Nexis) 24 Apr. (Travel section) 33 Lush red rambutan (like a lychee nut) and slices of white guava and papaya.
white goosefoot n. the fat hen, Chenopodium album, a ubiquitous plant probably native to Eurasia and a common weed of arable crops, but also grown as a grain, vegetable, or animal feed in India and elsewhere.
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1777 W. Curtis Flora Londinensis I. (at cited word) Chenopodium album... white Goosefoot.
1872 D. Oliver Lessons Elem. Bot. (new ed.) ii. 224 Artificial Shagreen used to be made by pressing a piece of leather upon the seeds of White Goosefoot so as to raise a warted surface.
1973 C. A. Wilson Food & Drink in Brit. vi. 190 Plants with seeds which had a high oil content were important in the diet of the early farming communities of Britain..the seeds of wild cabbage, charlock (sinapis arvensis), white goosefoot, knotgrass (polygonum), and some other native herbs now regarded as weeds.
2012 Times (Nexis) 23 Oct. 28 White goosefoot..is taller than red goosefoot, and has tiny white flowers, and mealy white undersides to the large leaves.
white grape n. a table grape or wine grape having a light-green skin; (also) any variety of grape yielding such fruit.
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?1508 tr. Walter of Henley Boke of Husbandry (de Worde) sig. B.ivv If ye wyll haue a vyne to bere on yt one syde whyte grapes, & on the other syde rede grapes, puruey you of a whyte vyne & of a rede wyne, & sette theym in erth.
1629 J. Parkinson Paradisi in Sole 663 The Burlet is a very great white Grape.
1707 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry 556 The Muscadella..is a White Grape, not so big as the Muscadine.
1846 Farmer's Mag. Dec. 488/2 The mode of training and pruning, to have new bearing rods every year, is the same as that for any other white grape.
1883 Encycl. Brit. XV. 178/1 The wine usually termed Madeira..is made from a mixture of black and white grapes.
1908 E. Vizetelly & A. Vizetelly Wines France 137 Côte-Rôtie..is usually made with three parts of red grapes of the Serine variety and one of white grapes.
1938 Cue 3 Dec. 41/2 You can order Crepes Bacchus—at no extra cost. They're Crepes Suzette with a difference. The Crepe is wrapped lovingly around a row of large white grapes before it gets its baptism of fire.
1961 Observer 7 Jan. 26/6 Hence the growing popularity of blanc de blancs, the champagne that is made of the juice of white grapes only, instead of the more usual three or four parts black to one of white.
2007 Olive May 90/5 Müller thurgau and reichensteiner..are the most commonly planted white grapes.
white grass n. †(a) the grass Yorkshire fog, Holcus lanatus (obsolete); (b) North American any of several North American grasses of the genus Leersia, spec. L. virginica.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > a grass or grasses > [noun] > cut-grass
white grass1780
rice grass1818
cut-grass1849
the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > a grass or grasses > [noun] > holcus grasses
holcus1771
white grass1780
hose-grass1811
whin-wrack1853
velvet-grass1856
Yorkshire fog1874
1780 A. Young Tour Ireland (Dublin ed.) I. 382 Rye grass (lolium perenne) and white grass (holcus lanatus) do well.
1817 D. H. Muhlenberg Descriptio Uberior Graminum 59 Leersia virginica... White grass.
1875 A. Knox Hist. County Down xliii. 692 Holcus lanatus, white grass; lolium perenne, rye grass.
1912 M. E. Francis Bk. Grasses 90 Both White-grass (Leersia virginica) and Rice Cut-grass bloom in late summer in wet places.
2012 M. A. Homoya Wildflowers & Ferns Indiana Forests 366 The two often grow in the same habitats, and where so, stiltgrass usually out-competes white grass.
white hellebore n. [after classical Latin elleborus albus (Pliny)] the white-flowered Eurasian herbaceous plant Veratrum album (family Melanthiaceae) (cf. hellebore n. 1a), the toxic root of which has been used medicinally (esp. as a purgative) and as a pesticide; (in later use also) any of various other plants of the genus Veratrum, esp. (more fully American white hellebore) V. viride of North America; frequently attributive.
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a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lv. 947 Of þe tweye maner kynde of þis herbe þe white eleborus [L. elleborus albus] is þe bettre.]
?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (Paris) (1971) 632 Of þe white elebre and of þe blacke.
?1550 H. Llwyd tr. Pope John XXI Treasury of Healthe sig. C.vi Take..of blacke and whyte, hellebore..and put in a bagge of lynen clothe.
1657 W. Coles Adam in Eden cx. 156 The root (of White Hellebore) worketh very strongly and churlishly.
1736 N. Bailey Dict. Domesticum at Ague Mix the powder of white Hellebore roots with right Venice Turpentine.
1858 R. Hogg Veg. Kingdom 737 White Hellebore (Veratrum album), a native of the Alps and Pyrenees, is a violent emetic and cathartic.
1912 W. C. O'Kane Injurious Insects xv. 68 Hellebore is a white powder, consisting of the finely ground roots of the plant known as white hellebore.
2002 J. Cunliffe Encycl. Dog Breeds (new ed.) 95/2 Sore patches could be rubbed with powdered root of white hellebore and hogslard.
white helleborine n. (more fully large white helleborine), an orchid with creamy-white flowers, Cephalanthera damasonium, found chiefly in beech woods on chalky soil from Britain to Asia Minor, and southward to North Africa.
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1665 J. Rea Flora xxvii. 144 The true black Hellebor flowreth about Christmas, the two white Hellebors in June, the Ladies Slipper, and the white Helleborine in the end of April or beginning of May.
1778 W. Hudson Flora Anglica (rev. ed.) I. 394 White Helleborine...in the woods near Stokenchurch, Oxfordshire.
1914 E. von Arnim Pastor's Wife xxxii. 413 In the dusk it was only the white flowers that still shone, the stitchworts, the clusters of Star of Bethlehem, the spikes of white helleborine.
2014 Dorking Advertiser (Nexis) 24 Apr. 24 The beautiful white helleborine, with its ‘tulip flowers’, enjoys the light shade of beech woods.
white horehound n. the horehound Marrubium vulgare, which has pale, downy leaves (see horehound n. 1a).
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OE Recipe (Vitell. C.iii) in T. O. Cockayne Leechdoms, Wortcunning, & Starcraft (1864) I. 374 Wið lungenadle genim hwite harehunan & ysopo.
1569 R. Androse tr. ‘Alessio’ 4th Bk. Secretes iii. 62 Take a quantitie of white Horehound, of Rew, of Penyrial, and a little Salt.
1733 J. Alleyne New Eng. Dispensatory 222/1 Take of the Leaves of fresh white Horehound.
2011 Esquire July 61/1 This is an anti-ageing moisturiser with a wealth of botanical ingredients, including..white horehound.
white ironwood n. †(a) a Mauritian tree of the genus Sideroxylon (cf. ironwood n. 2) (obsolete); (b) either of two small evergreen trees, Hypelate trifoliata (family Sapindaceae) of the Caribbean, which has small white flowers, and Vespris lanceolata (family Rutaceae), of South Africa.
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1812 tr. F. Péron in J. Pinkerton Gen. Coll. Voy. & Trav. XI. 770 (table) White Iron Wood.
1850 R. Gordon-Cumming Five Years Hunter's Life S. Afr. I. iii. 48 The black and the white iron-wood tree..are remarkable for toughness and durability, and are much used in the axle-trees of wagons.
1961 E. Palmer & N. Pitman Trees S. Afr. 274 The white ironwood is found in most of the forests of the Union as a tall evergreen tree.
2011 G. Nelson Trees Florida (ed. 2) 372 White ironwood..is extremely difficult to find and generally occurs in very small populations.
white jasmine n. jasmine ( Jasminum officinale), which has pure white flowers.
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1629 J. Parkinson Paradisi in Sole 406 The white Iasmine hath many twiggy flexible greene branches, comming forth of the sundry bigger boughes or stems, that rise from the roote.
1829 Mag. Nat. Hist. 2 236 This artificial snow was composed of the beautiful and fragrant flowers of the white jasmine.
2006 M. Elphinstone Light (2007) xiv. 132 The white jasmine grew. There were already buds on it; in June it would flower.
white lettuce n. (a) any of various whitish-flowered plants of the genus Prenanthes, allied to the lettuces (genus Lactuca), esp. the rattlesnake-root ( P. alba); (b) a pale-leaved cultivar of the genus Lactuca.
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1747 R. Mead Disc. Small-pox & Measles 98 The greater wood-sorrel-seed, vetches, berberries,..white lettuce-seed.
1841 J. Torrey & A. Gray Flora N. Amer. II. 480 Achenia scarcely striate. Corolla white or ochroleucous, sometimes tinged with purple.—White Lettuce.
1877 J. Corson Cooking Man. 85 Place in a salad bowl one underdone cauliflower, broken in branches, six small silver onions, six radishes, ornament with the hearts of two white lettuces, and one dessert spoonful each of chopped olives and capers.
1969 D. R. Brothwell Food in Antiq. vii. 121 Pliny tells us that the Greeks called the white lettuce 'poppy lettuce' because of its soporific white juice, and that formerly this was the only kind known in Italy where this 'milk' led to its being named lactuca.
2001 D. M. Ladd North Woods Wildflowers 170 Glaucous White Lettuce (P. racemosa) also occurs in the region, usually in more open or wetter sites. It has hairy sepal-like bracts and unlobed leaves. Tall White Lettuce (P. altissima) has 6 or fewer smooth sepal-like bracts.
white lilac n. any white-flowered form of lilac ( Syringa vulgaris); (also) flowers from such a lilac.
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1727 B. Langley New Princ. Gardening v. xxi. 182 The double-blossom Cherry, the White Lilac, the Guilder-Rose, the Mirabalon Plumb, and the White Rose, are all entirely White Blossoms.
1882 Garden 6 May 317/2 A large bunch of white Lilac.
2003 R. MacFarlane Mountains of Mind (2004) viii. 237 The white lilacs which will be in bloom on the bank behind the cedar tree in the garden.
white liverwort n. now historical and rare grass of Parnassus, Parnassia palustris (see Parnassus n. 2).
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > saxifrage and allies > [noun]
sengreenc1000
wayworta1300
saxifragec1440
stonebreak1548
grass of Parnassus1578
mountain pennywort1578
white liverwort1597
breakstone1688
Parnassia1727
mitella1731
lady's cushion1739
tiarella1759
American bastard sanicle1760
sanicle1760
mitrewort1771
queen's cushion1825
bishop's-cap1839
astilbe1843
coolwort1848
mitrewort1848
rodgersia1874
chrysosplene1877
rockfoil1879
old man's beard1882
foam flower1895
Indian rhubarb1897
mossy1938
piggyback plant1946
heucherella1949
1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 692 Parnassus Grasse, or white Liuerwoort.
1682 J. Partridge tr. A. von Mynsicht Thesaurus & armamentarium medico-chymicum xxv. 285 Take leaves of Sena and Sea Coleworts, of each an ounce... flowers of the lesser Centaury, Hops and white Liverwort, of each a dram.
1770 J. Berkenhout Outl. Nat. Hist. Great Brit. & Ireland II. 311 White Liverwort. White, with white tubercles, mealy.
1975 Econ. Bot. 29 176/2 A number of other New and Old World plants have been known as liverwort: Marchantia polymorpha L. (stone liverwort),..Parnassia palustris L. (white liverwort).
white mahogany n. any of various pale timbers thought to resemble mahogany in quality; (also) any of various trees producing such timber, esp. Eucalyptus acmenoides of Australia and primavera ( Roseodendron donnell-smithii) of Mexico and Central America.
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1860 G. Bennett Gatherings Naturalist Australasia xix. 361 The Red and White Mahogany-trees may be alluded to, as they are noble in appearance, and the wood is of great durability.
1874 Trans. Calif. State Agric. Soc. 1873 537 The ‘Primavera’, or white mahogany, is an exceedingly fine cabinet wood.
1927 Boys' Life Sept. 12/3 The missing lozenges of ebony or white mahogany—the cabinet maker had been certain that the light wood was that—were replaced.
1958 Cumberland Argus & Fruitgrowers' Advocate (Parramatta, New S. Wales) 26 Nov. 13/2 White Mahogany is a high-class structural timber.
2004 H. Glen What's in Name (Sappi Ltd.) 23/1 Captain John Donnell Smith...collected the type specimen of Tabebuia donnell-smithii, the Primavera or White Mahogany.
white maidenhair n. now rare wall rue, Asplenium ruta-muraria.
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the world > plants > particular plants > ferns > [noun] > spleenworts
maidenhairc1300
finger fern1548
scale-fern1548
stone-rue1548
wall rue1548
tentwort?1550
ceterach1551
stone-fern1552
English maidenhair1562
male fern1562
miltwaste1578
spleenwort1578
stonewort1585
white maidenhair1597
milt-wort1611
mule's fern1633
rusty-back1776
maidenhair spleenwort1837
sea-spleenwort1850
sea-fern1855
scaly spleenwort1859
black adiantum1866
1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 983 Wall Rue, or Rue Maiden haire..and white Maiden haire.
1718 J. Quincy Pharmacopœia Officinalis 115 White Maidenhair.—It is used in Decays of the Lungs.
1812 J. Hill Family Herbal 211 The white maidenhair is preferred to any against the gravel.
2009 N. Arrowsmith Essent. Herbal Wisdom 44 White maidenhair only grows 2 or 3 in. high on rocks and walls.
white mallow n. marshmallow, Althaea officinalis, which has pale, downy leaves and pale pink flowers (now rare); (in later use also) any of various other mallows with pale flowers.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > aquatic, marsh, and sea-shore plants > [noun] > marshmallow
marshmalloweOE
hollyhocka1300
wymalvea1300
white mallowa1400
vimauea1425
mallow1483
marish mallow1548
water mallow1548
mucilage mallow1578
moorish mallow1597
wymote1597
shrub mallow1640
guimauve1812
a1400 in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell Reliquiæ Antiquæ (1845) I. 53 Tak the white malue, and bryn hit.
1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum ii. lxv. 307 Wee in English call it marsh Mallow, from the place where it chiefly groweth in the salt marshes as I said before, or white Mallow from the colour of the leaves.
1796 R. E. Hunter Short Descr. Isle Thanet 85 White mallow, on the road to Salmstone.
1812 W. T. Aiton Hortus Kewensis (ed. 2) IV. 213 M. frutescens... Panicled white Mallow. Nat. of Mexico.
2011 Toronto Star (Nexis) 8 July (Living section) i. 3 She recommends combining her brood with a variety of plants: fleece flower Persicaria polymorpha, foxgloves, white mallows, lilies.
white mangrove n. any of various mangroves, esp. Laguncularia racemosa, of Atlantic and eastern Pacific coasts, which has white flowers, and Avicennia marina, of Indo-Pacific coasts, which has leaves with silvery-grey undersides.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > [noun] > mangroves > Avicennia mangroves
white mangrove1683
black mangrove1697
courida1825
Avicennia1836
manawa1838
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > South American and West Indian trees or shrubs > [noun] > others
persea1601
mahoe1666
poison berry1672
white mangrove1683
maiden plum1696
angelin1704
garlic-pear1725
milkwood-tree1725
Jack-in-the-box1735
cherimoya1736
rattle bush1750
galapee1756
genip1756
lace bark1756
sunfruit1787
wild orange1802
hog-nut1814
mountain pride1814
savannah wattle1814
mora1825
rubber tree1826
mayflower1837
bastard manchineel1838
long john1838
seringa1847
sack tree1849
jumbie tree1860
jumbie bean1862
king-tree1863
gauze-tree1864
mountain green1864
snowdrop tree1864
strong bark1864
switch-sorrel1864
candle-tree1866
maypole1866
angelique1873
poisonwood1884
porkwood1884
1683 J. Poyntz Present Prospect Tobago 29 White Mangrove is of little use, save only to make Ropes with.
1762 Amer. Gazetteer III. at Roca Islands The white mangrove never grows to the size of the other sorts.
1830 J. Lindley Introd. Nat. Syst. Bot. 238 Avicennia tomentosa, the White Mangrove of Brazil.
1983 Austral. Fisheries Aug. 16/1 ‘Dieback disease’ was held responsible for deaths of..the white mangrove.
2011 S. D. Jewell Exploring Wild South Florida (ed. 4) 114 The North Trail, shorter than the boardwalk, passes by the Intracoastal Waterway and is lined by white mangroves.
† white mechoacan n. (also white mechoacan root) Obsolete the whitish tuberous root of Ipomoea macrorhiza (see mechoacan n. 1a); cf. black mechoacan n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(d).
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1672 J. Schröder Pharmacopoeia Medico-chymica (new ed.) iv. iii. ccccxxviii. 769/1 White Mechoacan, or Rhubarb of Mechoaca.
1767 W. Farrer Observ. Specific Med. iii. 25 Among the more mild and gentle hydragogues, we may reckon a dram or two of the Powder of white Mechoacan.
1866 Amer. Jrnl. Pharmacy 38 501 Sometimes it seems to me that this root (of the Asclepias) peeled, does not differ from that formerly known under the name of white Mechoacan root.
white moss n. any of various white or pale lichens; (in later use) spec. = reindeer moss n. at reindeer n. Compounds 2.
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the world > plants > particular plants > lichen > [noun] > of unspecified or various types
white moss?a1425
rock hair1724
crotal1777
?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 179v (MED) Vsnea quercina, þat is, white mosse [L. mossa alba], is ca. & sic. with temperament & confortatif.
1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler iv. 96 White Moss, which grows on some heaths, and is hard to be found. View more context for this quotation
1796 W. Marshall Rural Econ. W. Eng. I. 222 During the winter months, a West Devonshire Orchard,..appears as if hung with hoar frost; owing to the white moss which hangs in ribbons from its boughs.
1884 Cassell's Family Mag. Apr. 316/2 A new material for paper..is the white moss which grows so largely in Norway and Sweden.
2006 R. M. Lawson New Hampsh. iii. 89 Here were amazing summits of white moss and glimmering stone.
white mulberry n. the mulberry tree Morus alba, originally native to China, which bears edible white or pinkish fruits but is cultivated mainly for its leaves, which are a major food source for silkworms; (also) a fruit of this tree; frequently attributive.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > berry-bush or -tree > [noun] > mulberry bush > types of
white mulberry1562
wood-vine1861
pigeon-berry tree1884
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular types of fruit > [noun] > edible berries > mulberry > types of
moruma1398
sycamine1526
white mulberry1562
red mulberry1648
toot1879
1562 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli 3rd Pt. Secretes Alexis of Piemont i. f. 14 Myxe a Dragme and a halfe of whyte Mulberrye leaues..with a Dragme of the ryne or pillinges of a Radishe roote.
1610 True Declar. Estate Colonie Virginia 55 There are innumerable White Mulberry trees.
1737 J. Wesley Jrnl. 2 Dec. (1910) I. 402 The white mulberry is not good to eat.
1850 Bell's Syst. Geogr. (new ed.) IV. 314 The white mulberry forms the wealth of the country of the Druses.
1975 E. Wigginton Foxfire 3 276 Dried white mulberries were used as a substitute for raisins or figs.
2012 N.Y. Times 6 May (Late ed.) (Metropolitan section) 2/1 We discover a writhing, pulsing mass of honey bees hanging off a white mulberry tree branch.
white mustard n. the mustard plant Sinapis alba (see mustard n. 2a).
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1528 R. Copland tr. Secrete of Secretes of Arystotle sig. f.iijv Eate whyte mustard sede powdred..[with] thy meate.
1731 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. I. at Sinapi The Species are; 1. Common or Red Mustard. 2. Garden or White Mustard.
1946 A. Nelson Princ. Agric. Bot. xx. 386 The seeds of linseed, plantain, white mustard, and many others, when wetted, exude mucilage.
2007 J. M. DiTomaso & E. A. Healy Weeds Calif. I. 536 White mustard is commercially cultivated for the seeds and greens, but, similar to wild mustard.
white oak n. any of various oak trees producing pale wood, (in later use) spec. Quercus alba, of eastern North America and (in full Oregon white oak) Q. garryana, of western North America; (also) the wood of any of these trees.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular timber trees or shrubs > [noun] > oak as timber tree
oakeOE
oak treeOE
mountain oak1609
white oak1610
Spanish oak1716
iron oak1724
post oak1775
Slavonian1809
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > oak and allies > [noun] > other oaks
red oakOE
cerre-tree1577
gall-tree1597
robur1601
kermes1605
live oak1610
white oak1610
royal oak1616
swamp-oak1683
grey oak1697
rock oak1699
chestnut oak1703
water oak1709
Spanish oak1716
turkey-oak1717
willow oak1717
iron oak1724
maiden oak1725
scarlet oak1738
black jack1765
post oak1775
durmast1791
mountain chestnut oak1801
quercitron oak1803
laurel oak1810
mossy-cup oak1810
rock chestnut oak1810
pin oak1812
overcup oak1814
overcup white oak1814
bur oak1815
jack oak1816
mountain oak1818
shingle-oak1818
gall-oak1835
peach oak1835
golden oak1838
weeping oak1838
Aleppo oak1845
Italian oak1858
dyer's oak1861
Gambel's Oak1878
maul oak1884
punk oak1884
sessile oak1906
Garry oak1908
roble1908
1610 W. Folkingham Feudigraphia i. iii. 7 The firme and solid graine of the white Oake and tough Ash, signifies a more fast and close ground.
1634 W. Wood New Englands Prospect 16 Of Oakes there be three kindes, the red Oake, white, and black.
1746 Baltimore Town Rec. 19 One [gate] of five feet wide in the Clear within the posts White Oak framed and locust pots and sils.
1804 T. G. Fessenden Orig. Poems 45 Go, to passion fall a martyr, And to-morrow let me see. Simon dangling by a garter Hang on yonder white-oak tree.
1898 Resources State Oregon (ed. 3) (Oregon State Board Agric.) 54 Quercus Garryana. (Oregon white oak.).
1975 Country Life 16 Jan. 148/3 American woodland in the east..is composed largely of oak, not our oak, but the slim and lofty red oak, white oak, pin oak and chestnut oak.
2000 Bryologist 103 724/1 The bryophyte assemblage characteristic of isolated white oaks in the Willamette Valley appears resilient in response to disturbance.
2010 N.Y. Mag. 22 Feb. 190 (advt.) White oak wood floors and floor-to-ceiling in-swing encasement windows..are found throughout.
white oats n. any variety of oats having light-coloured grains.
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the world > food and drink > food > corn, cereals, or grain > [noun] > oats
oateOE
haver1305
oat seed1531
white oats1675
1675 J. Blagrave New Additions Art Husbandry (new ed.) 87 You must feed this old Bird with Hemp-Seed, Bread, and a few white Oats.
1853 A. Soyer Pantropheon 42 They take white oats..they are fanned, cleaned, and carried to a mill.
2009 Jrnl. Orthoptera Res. 18 160/1 The young hoppers..from untreated parents were fed on pellets of white oats.
white olive n. †(a) (in full Barbados white olive) Bontia daphnoides (family Scrophulariaceae) of the Caribbean (obsolete rare); (b) fly-honeysuckle, Halleria lucida (family Stilbaceae), of South Africa (now rare).
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1783 D. Grimwood Catal. Greenhouse Plants 6 Bontia daphnoides... Barbadoes Wild Olive. Barbodoes White Olive.
1862 L. Pappe Silva Capensis (ed. 2) 39 (table) White Olive.
1903 G. Henslow South Afr. Flowering Plants 195 One species..called the ‘White Olive’, has a fine-grained wood.
white pea n. a pea with a white or very pale skin; any variety of pea producing such seeds; cf. white pease n.
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1675 J. Blagrave New Additions Art Husbandry (new ed.) 98 Take up the Meat at the end about the bigness of a white Pea.
1794 J. Billingsley Gen. View Agric. Somerset 163 Colored peas are planted about Candlemas, white peas at Lady Day.
1881 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 2nd Ser. 17 88 Sheep have, per score, 2 bushels of malt and 2 bushels of maize weekly,..changing the maize occasionally for white peas.
2000 L.-A. Giraldeau & T. Caraco Social Foraging Theory ix. 244 Seven different food types were included in each day's bait: wheat, corn, maple peas, white peas, milo maize, vetch, and oats.
white pease n. now historical and rare = white pea n.; frequently as unmarked plural.
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1381 Diuersa Servicia in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 62 For to make pise of Almayne. Nym wyte pisyn & wasch hem & seþ hem a god wyle [etc.].
a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sloane) (1862) 46 (MED) For Gray pese..Þese pese with bacun eten may be As þo whyȝt pese were.
1577 J. Frampton tr. N. Monardes Ioyfull Newes ii. f. 76v It is a grayne as great as a white Pease.
1770 Gentleman's & London Mag. Sept. 545/1 Fatted with white pease, that weighed sixty-six pounds per bushel.
2002 J. Lent Lost Nation 161 There was a second frost and the white pease wilted.
white pepper n. (a) any of several plants with peppery-tasting leaves, spec. rocket, Eruca sativa (now rare); (b) [compare Anglo-Norman poivere blanc, Middle French, French poivre blanc (13th cent. or earlier)] a paler and milder form of black pepper, produced by removing the husks from ripe peppercorns.
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the world > food and drink > food > additive > spice > [noun] > pepper > types of pepper
black peppereOE
white pepperc1300
bynny-pepper1603
mignonette pepper1877
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [noun] > leaf vegetables > rocket
white pepperc1300
rukel?c1400
rocket1530
garden rocket1548
rocket gentle1578
rucola1937
arugula1960
c1300 Bot. Gloss. (BL Add. 15236) l. 86 in Pluteus (1990) 4–5 110 Eruca, g. eruk, a. wyte pepir.
?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 112 And there is iij maner of peper alle vpon o tree: Long peper, blak peper, & white peper.
a1500 Agnus Castus (Laud) (1950) 201 Rapistrum domesticum is an herbe þat me clepuþ whitpepur.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Poyvre verd Some report that the ordinarie Pepper-berrie gathered while tis greene, and vnripe..is that which we call white Pepper.
1727 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique II. at Roast-Meats Lamb and Kid..may be eaten with green Sauce, or with Orange, White Pepper and Salt.
1884 Hand & Heart Oct. 123/2 Cut the other parts in small bits, put them in a small tosser with a grate of nutmeg, the least white pepper and salt.
2009 N.Y. Mag. 9 Nov. 50/4 Add the Brussels sprouts, chicken stock, quatre épices, and a sprinkling of salt and white pepper.
white peroba n. a Brazilian tree with pale, hard wood, Paratecoma peroba (family Bignoniaceae); (also) the wood of this tree.
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1876 Empire of Brazil at Universal Exhib. Philadelphia 47 The white peroba (Sapota conocarpa).
1939 Winnipeg Free Press 29 Apr. 5/6 Araca..is a relation of the white peroba of Brazil.
1956 Handbk. Hardwoods (Forest Products Res. Lab.) 186 White peroba attains a height of about 130 ft and a maximum diameter of 5ft.
2005 C. Tudge Secret Life Trees x. 243 Paracetoma peroba from the coastal forest of Brazil grows to 40 metres and its pale, golden-olive heartwood is known as white peroba.
white plantain n. any of various plants with whitish foliage or flowers: (a) U.S. any of several cudweeds, esp. Gnaphalium americanum; (b) either of two plantains, Plantago albicans, a perennial of the Mediterranean region, and P. virginica, an annual of North America and eastern Asia; (c) U.S. any of several woolly plants of the genus Antennaria (family Asteraceae ( Compositae)), esp. Antennaria plantaginifolia.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Compositae (composite plants) > [noun] > cudweeds
horewortc1400
chafeweed1548
chafewort1548
cudweed1548
cudwort1548
cartafilago1551
cottonweed1562
downweed1562
petty cotton1578
small cotton1578
file-wort1597
live forever1597
livelong1597
life-everlasting1629
white plantain1687
petty coy1736
cat's-foot1739
owl's crown1787
1687 J. Clayton Let. in Philos. Trans. 1739–40 (Royal Soc.) (1742) 41 145 They use also the Gnafalium Americanum, commonly called there White Plantain.
1769 J. Hill Veg. Syst. XIV. 53 (heading) White Plantain..is a Perennial, native of Spain and France.
1916 S. M. Barrett Shinkah 81 His mother, after giving her husband the tea she had brewed from white plantain leaves.., would sit silently by the sick warrior.
2012 C. Ouellet Days of Mawatani vi. 45 For the swelling, he used a salve..made from white plantain.
white plum n. now rare (a) a plum with a pale yellow or green skin; a tree bearing such fruit; frequently attributive; cf. wheat-plum n.; †(b) a tree of Barbados having plum-shaped green fruits (not identified) (obsolete).
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular types of fruit > [noun] > stone fruit > plum > other types of
white plumc1330
bullacea1375
myxe?1440
prunelloa1450
bullace-fruit1530
horse plum1530
plum1530
wheat-plum1538
wheaten plum1542
choke-plum1556
pear plum1573
finger plum1577
scad1577
skeg1601
merchant1602
bullace-plum1608
malacadonian1608
prune plum1613
date plum1626
mussel plum1626
amber plum1629
black plum1629
primordian1629
queen mother1629
winter crack1629
myrobalan1630
Christian1651
Monsieur's plum1658
cinnamon-plum1664
date1664
primordial1664
Orleans1674
mirabelle1706
myrobalan plum1708
Mogul1718
mussel1718
Chickasaw plum1760
blue gage1764
magnum bonum1764
golden drop1772
beach-plum1785
sweet plum1796
winesour1836
wild plum1838
quetsch1839
egg-plum1859
Victoria1860
cherry plum1866
bladder-plum1869
prune1872
sour plum1874
Carlsbad plum1885
horse-jug1886
French plum1939
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular fruit-tree or -plant > [noun] > trees or plants bearing stone fruit > plum-tree > types of
damson treea1398
bullace-treec1440
bullester1500
bullace1616
lote-tree1640
Catherine plum1691
white plum1696
bullet-bush1732
lotus1760
wild plum1838
wild-goose plum1909
apricot plum1957
c1330 Short Metrical Chron. (Auch.) l. 2255 in PMLA (1931) 46 144 Dan simound ȝede & gadred frut. For soþe were plommes white.
c1450 Med. Recipes (BL Add. 33996) in F. Heinrich Mittelengl. Medizinbuch (1896) 224 Seþ leues of þe whyte plomtre.
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball vi. xlvii. 721 The yellowishe Plummes are called..in Englishe, the Wheaten, or white Plumme.
1696 L. Plukenet Almagestum in Opera (1769) II. 306 Prunus Sylvestris cortice albicante,..White Plumme Barbadensibus dicta.
1750 G. Hughes Nat. Hist. Barbados vii. 179 The White Plum-Tree..is a middle-sized Tree, the Body of it cover'd with a Whitish Bark.
1841 Cultivator Dec. 187/1 We have a tree of the white magnum bonum, or egg plum, a graft on a white plum stock.
1905 M. Parloa Canned Fruit, Preserves, & Jellies (U.S. Dept. Agric.) 22 The skins should be removed from white plums.
white poplar n. [after classical Latin alba populus] (a) a poplar having greyish bark and leaves with bright white down on their undersides, Populus alba, native to southern Europe and northern Africa; (also) the wood of this tree; (b) any of several other trees of the genus Populus, esp. (U.S.) the American aspen, Populus tremuloides; (c) U.S. the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera; the wood of this tree in its palest form.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > poplars and allies > [noun]
popple1229
popple-tree1229
abele?a1300
poplar1371
black poplar1542
white poplar1542
poppling1570
cotton tree1633
tacamahac1739
Lombardy poplar1766
poplar pine1770
Po poplar1776
grey poplar1782
cottonwood1787
pine poplar1789
liard1809
white-backa1825
necklace poplar1845
silver poplar1847
weather-tree1847
hackmatack1873
bitter-weed1878
balsam-poplar1884
Russian poplar1884
Lombardy1917
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > poplars and allies > [noun] > aspen
aspc700
white poplar1542
quaking asp1549
quaking aspen1586
aspen1590
trembling poplar1698
tremble1749
American aspen1785
quaking asp1822
quaking aspen1845
mountain ash1871
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > North American trees or shrubs > [noun] > tulip-tree or flowers
poplar1700
tulip-tree1705
tulip1759
yellow poplar1759
canoewood1762
liriodendron1802
white poplar1814
saddle leaf1820
saddle-tree1843
tulip poplar1869
1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca at Populus One is callyd whyte poplar, whose stemme is long and playne, and the leaues alway shakynge.
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ vi. 81 The Abele-tree is a finer kinde of white Poplar.
1774 in J. L. Peyton Adventures my Grandfather (1867) 127 The forest of Kentucky consists of yellow and white poplar, walnut, [etc.].
1814 F. Pursh Flora Amer. Septentrionalis II. 383 Liriodendron..generally known by the name of Tulip-tree, or White and Yellow Poplar.
1829 A. Eaton Man. Bot. (ed. 5) 341 Populus... tremuloides,..white poplar, American aspen.
1908 C. Mair Through Mackenzie Basin 81 It was well timbered..with the finest white poplar I had yet seen.
2000 Jrnl. Soc. Archer-Antiquaries 43 32/2 The wood..is probably white poplar (populus alba).
white poppy n. the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum; (also) a variety of this having white flowers and seeds, P. somniferum var. album (cf. black poppy n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(d)).
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > yielding drug or narcotic > [noun] > opium poppy
white poppyOE
chesbollc1420
opium poppy1849
OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) liv. 98 Genim þysse wyrte wos ðe Grecas moetorias & Romane papauer album nemnað & Engle hwit popig hatað.
c1225 Worcester Glosses to Old Eng. Herbarium in Anglia (1928) 52 20 (MED) [Hwytpopig, papauer] Hwitpopi.
c1475 ( Surg. Treat. in MS Wellcome 564 f. 72 (MED) R[ecipe] þe poudre of rose leues..þe seed of hennebane..opij teebaici, i. white popi.
1605 J. Mosan tr. C. Wirsung Gen. Pract. Physick 458 Take Gromel seed, and the seed of Saxifrage, of each one dragme, the seeds of..white Poppies, of Melons [etc.].
1876 J. Harley Royle's Man. Materia Med. (ed. 6) 739 White Poppy is now cultivated in the plains of India.
1954 A. A. Forsyth Brit. Poisonous Plants 23 The symptoms..are similar to those after poisoning by opium and white poppy.
2006 A. Murphy-Hiscock Way of Green Witch v. 119 It is the white poppy that is toxic and the source of opium.
white potato n. (a) a tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum, or the plant itself (see potato n. 2) (chiefly U.S.); (b) a white-skinned variety of S. tuberosum.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [noun] > root vegetables > potato > potato plant
potato1597
skirret of Peru1597
Irish potato1664
white potato1723
Virginian potato1731
potato plant1744
potato vine1750
lady's finger1827
peach-blow1861
Chilean potato1870
1723 R. Smith Court Cookery ii. 34 Take two Pound of white potatoes, boil and peel them, and beat them in a Mortar.
1788 J. Hazard in Lett. & Papers Agric. IV. 33 September 5th. At this time the stems of the white potatoes were beginning to fade..Red potatoes just past the blossom.
1809 R. Kerr Gen. View Agric. County of Berwick 291 The long kidney shaped white potatoe, with a dash of red at one end, called red-nebs, or red-nosed kidneys.
1901 Boston Morning Jrnl. 8/1 The white potato, called Irish,..did not become general until after 1800.
1949 Misc. Publ. (U.S. Dept. Agric.) No. 682 34 Varietal items mentioned in reply to the question: ‘what are the most important things you look for in buying potatoes?’... Idaho potatoes..White potatoes, general... Red potatoes, general... Irish cobbers... California potatoes... [etc.]
1992 A. Waters Fanny at Chez Panisse 87 Besides red and white potatoes and the big dusty looking ones called russets that people usually bake, there are purple ones and long yellow ones that look like knobby fingers (called fingerlings).
2002 C. Slaughter Before Knife (2003) vi. 104 We had a very good garden, with Cape gooseberries,..white potatoes and fat tomatoes.
white primordian n. now rare a variety of primordian plum having a pale yellow skin; cf. white plum n.
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1731 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. I. at Prunus The Jean-hative, or White Primordian. This is a small white Plum, of a clear yellow Colour,..and for its coming very early, deserves a Place in every good Garden of Fruit.
1813 C. Marshall Introd. Knowl. & Pract. Gardening (ed. 5) 287 The early white primordian, (not a choice fruit) is valuable for its coming in the beginning of July.
1911 U. P. Hedrick Plums New York 520 Prince Primordian...A seedling of White Primordian, grown by William Prince.
white raspberry n. any variety of raspberry having yellow or pinkish-white fruits; a fruit of such a variety.
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1685 Compl. Planter & Cyderist 162 Of Rasberries there are three sorts; The Common Wild; The large Red Garden Rasberry,..And the White Rasberry.
1769 E. Raffald Experienced Eng. House-keeper viii. 189 To make White Raspberry Jam.
1890 Daily News 15 Aug. 5/4 A variety of white raspberry, large, conical, and pinkily cream-coloured in tint.
2007 D. V. Alford Pests Fruit Crops 18/2 Less vigorous, yellow-fruited cultivars (sometimes known as ‘white raspberries’) are also available.
white rhubarb n. now historical and rare = white mechoacan n.
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1651 Read's Med. & Remedies 4 White Rhubarb..purgeth Fleam and watry humours without griping.
1832 J. Bell Syst. Geogr. (new ed.) V. 224 Jalap abounds in Paraguay, as also white rhubarb, sassafras,..and vanilla.
1901 Pharmaceut. Jrnl. 19 Oct. 457/2 Donations to the Museum..Specimen of White Rhubarb Root and Sarsaparilla, from Honduras.
2011 J. Mauk & J. Metz Inventing Arguments xix. 560/2 Explorers set out on great expeditions across the formidable Middle Kingdom, collecting impressive specimens of white rhubarb.
white rocket n. any white-flowered form of dame's violet, Hesperis matrionalis (cf. rocket n.4 3).
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1688 Catal. Housed-greens in J. Worlidge Systema Horti-culturæ (ed. 3) 270 White Rocket. Purple Rocket.
1850 Cottage Gardener 22 Aug. 321/2 I should think there are few visitors of a flower-garden by twilight, but who have been struck by the gay appearance a large plant of the double white rocket has at that time.
2010 R. Lane Fox Thoughful Gardening xxxv. 147 Single-flowered white rocket looks spectacular in pictures.
† white root n. Obsolete Solomon's seal, Polygonatum multiflorum.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > lily and allied flowers > Solomon's seal or star of Bethlehem
whitewort?c1400
Solomon's seal1543
dog's onion1548
white root1548
ornithogalum1562
Our Lady's cowslip1565
St John's seal1567
star of Bethlehem1573
ornithogal1578
field onion1582
Polygonatum1597
star of Bethlehem1629
Ladder to Heaven1640
Star of Naples1722
smilacina1808
seal-wort1837
lady's seal1870
peep of day1882
morning star1890
chinkerinchee1926
1548 W. Turner Names of Herbes sig. H.viv Whyte roote.
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball i. lxix. 102 White roote or Salomons seale is of two sortes.
white sanders n. now rare the aromatic wood of the tree Santalum album (family Santalaceae) (also white sanders wood); (in later use also) an essential oil extracted from this.
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?a1425 MS Hunterian 95 f. 160, in Middle Eng. Dict. at Saundre Take white saunders, spodium acacia..caumfer..meddel with þe iuse of sum herbe þe whiche is good to þis purpos.
1552 J. Caius Bk. against Sweatyng Sicknesse f. 24 Alterynge the aier with swete odoures of..white sanders cutte, afewe cloues steped in rose water and vinegre rosate, the infection shalbe lesse noious.
1694 J. Pechey Compl. Herbal 32/1 Take..of Red and White Sanders, and of the sweet-smelling Flag, each six Drams.
1766 tr. C. de Brosses Terra Australis Cognita I. 104 Here they found ginger,..white sanders, divers fruits and beasts.
1880 R. Bentley & H. Trimen Medicinal Plants IV. 252 Sandalwood. Yellow (or white) Sanders Wood.
1917 Org. Drugs U.S. Pharmacopœia 107 Oil of Santal..White Sanders Wood.
1997 N. Groom New Perfume Handbk. (ed. 2) 302 The oil is also called Sanders, White Sanders, Yellow Sanders, Citron Sanders and Santal.
white rye n. any variety of rye with light-coloured grains.
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1768 Every Man his own Brewer Introd. p. x Malts are made..from various kinds of grain and pulse, as wheat, white rye [etc.].
1853 Trans. State Agric. Soc. Mass. 290 The rye that I sowed was the white rye.
1959 Farmers' Bull. (U.S. Dept. Agric.) No. 2145 7/2 First released in 1929 as ‘White rye’, its name was changed to Imperial about 1937.
2004 Sci. News 12 June 379/2 Nitrate concentration in runoff from a field planted with..white rye.
white spruce n. any of several spruce trees having glaucous foliage, esp. Picea glauca, of North America.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > conifers > [noun] > spruces
spruce?1602
Norway fir1666
spruce fir1676
hemlock tree1679
hemlock1728
spruce pine1731
white spruce1731
black spruce1741
red spruce1741
Norway spruce1766
silver fir1789
var1793
Engelmann1866
Sitka spruce1867
Sitka pine1868
skunk spruce1876
Colorado spruce1881
Yeddo spruce1932
1731 S. Switzer Diss. True Cythisus of Ancients 67 Firrs, (Silver, Norway or White Spruce, New England or Black Spruce,) as also the Scotch Firr, or Pine Pinaster, and large Pine, are all rais'd by Seeds sown in March or April.
1831 On Planting (Libr. Useful Knowl.) viii. 124/2 The white, black, and red spruces are of inferior value to the Norway.
1968 R. Kroetsch Alberta iv. 164 Heavy stands of white spruce grow on the islands in Astotin Lake.
2006 F. S. Chapin et al. Alaska's Changing Boreal Forest vii. 108 White spruce is relatively shallow-rooted, in part because low soil temperatures inhibit the growth of deep roots.
white squill n. the white-scaled bulb of a form of the sea onion, Drimia maritima, or a preparation made from this, (formerly) used medicinally and as a rodenticide; (also) the plant itself; cf. red squill n. at red adj. and n. Compounds 1e(d).
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1649 N. Culpeper Physicall Directory 95 Take of white Squills of the mountains, gathered about the rising of the Dog-star, and cut in thin peices.
1731 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. I. at Scilla Scilla; radice alba... The White Squil.
1849 G. B. Wood & F. Bache Dispensatory U.S.A. (ed. 8) i. 646 There are two varieties, distinguished as the red and white squill.
1942 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts 90 149 Samples of white squill sent from Cyprus recently appeared to be of excellent quality.
2013 C. Williams Medicinal Plants Austral. IV. i. 27/1 White Squill..is an effective diuretic and cardiac tonic.
white strawberry n. a very pale or whitish fruit of a species or cultivar of a strawberry (genus Fragaria); the plant producing this.
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1629 J. Parkinson Paradisi in Sole lvi. 528 The white Strawberry differeth not from the red, but in the colour of the fruite, which is whiter then the former when it is thorough ripe, enclining to rednesse.
1888 Ann. Rep. N.Y. State Agric. Exper. Station 443 White strawberries are..by no means modern. White Alpine, White Chili and White Wood strawberries are named among cultivated varieties by Mawe, in 1778.
2014 Sunday Tel. (Nexis) 16 May The white strawberry 'Snow White' may fox the birds for a while.
white tree n. rare any of several trees having pale wood, esp. the paperbark tea tree Melaleuca leucadendra. [In sense ‘paperbark tea tree’ after Malay kayu putih cajuput n.; compare Dutch witte boom (1717 or earlier).]
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular timber trees or shrubs > [noun] > names applied to various types of trees or shrubs
whitewood1562
yellowwood1583
lightwood1597
redwood1693
hoop-wood1756
stave-wood1778
whistle-wood1825
whip-cropa1850
pepperwood1858
white tree1863
1797 Trans. Linn. Soc. 3 274 From it is distilled the green aromatic oil called Cajeput, from Caju Puti, a white tree, the Malay name of the plant.]
1863 H. W. Bates Naturalist on River Amazons I. ii. 69 Other grand forest trees..were the Moira-tinga (the White or King-tree), probably the same as, or allied to, the Mora excelsa..in British Guiana [etc.].
1867 Royal Dict.-Cycl. III. 831/1 M. leucadendron, the White Tree, or cajeput tree, also a native of the East India islands, was formerly thought to be the plant from which the oil of commerce was obtained.
1990 C. Y. Jim Trees Hong Kong viii. 175 Besides Paper-bark, it is also commonly known as White Tree, White Wood and Cajeput Oil Tree.
white truffle n. [perhaps after French truffe blanche (1694 or earlier) or Italian tartufo bianco (1700 or earlier)] a truffle of a greyish-white colour, esp. that of the fungus Tuber magnatum, found in central and southern Europe, which is prized in gastronomy; (also) any of the fungi producing such truffles.
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1726 R. Bradley New Improvem. Planting & Gardening (ed. 5) App. 571 These are of that Sort which are call'd Abroad, The first white Truffles.
1887 Jrnl. Mycol. 3 10 This highly esteemed species [sc. Terfezia leonis], known as the ‘White Truffle’, has been sent from Northwestern Louisiana by Rev. A. B. Langlois.
1915 Amer. Cookery Feb. 524/2 The white truffle of Piedmont, which many gourmets, including Napoleon First, have preferred to any other.
2013 B. Jones Deerholme Mushroom Bk. 56 It is possible to shatter a white truffle by dropping it on the floor.
white varnish n. (originally) a pale buff or straw-coloured, translucent varnish, esp. that used to glaze oil or tempera paintings; (also) the resin used in making this; spec. = mastic varnish n. at mastic n. Compounds 2; (later also) any white-coloured varnish.
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society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > equipment for painting or drawing > [noun] > varnish
mastic varnish1510
white varnish1560
varnish1633
brush-varnish1875
1560 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli 2nd Pt. Secretes Alexis of Piemont 79 Take foure vnces of white Vernishe, two vnces of Mastick, and asmuche of white Encens, two dragmes of true Camfire, and lette all be made into fine pouder.
1691 W. Yworth New Art of making Wines vii. 104 In place of Guttagamba some use Turmerick, others Saffron, to raise the golden colour. Now Gum Anima makes a white Varnish, and Gum spelt a black.
1869 C. L. Eastlake Materials Hist. Oil Painting II. ii. 33 Hubert Van Eyck..was in the habit. like others, of coating his tempera pictures with ‘vernice liquida’; like others, he must also have been acquainted with the ‘white varnish’.
2013 Observer Mag. (Nexis) 7 July 39 Try a good white varnish under any bright colour to make it look lit from within.
white vine n. [after classical Latin vītis alba] now rare (a) either of two white-flowered climbing plants, common bryony, Bryonia dioica, and traveller's joy, Clematis vitalba; (b) = whitebine n.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > bryony
neepOE
hound's-berrya1300
smear-nepa1400
white vine?a1425
psilothre?1440
black vine1552
bryony1552
tetter-berry1597
Mary's seal1600
psilothrum1601
wild vine1607
lady's seal1617
black bryony1626
Our Lady's signet1640
poison-withe1693
felon-berrya1715
cow-bind1820
bryony-vine1842
oxberry1859
wood-vine1861
mandrake1886
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > shrubs > climbing, trailing, or creeping shrubs > [noun] > clematis or traveller's joy
white vine?a1425
clematis1578
lady's bower1597
traveller's joy1597
virgin's bower1597
bethwine1609
honesty1640
love1640
maiden's honesty1691
lady bower1715
virgin-bower1725
old man's beard1731
bindwith1797
Robin Hood's feather1820
silver-bush1886
?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 124 (MED) The..farmciez ar made..of bakkez & eggez of formicus, i. pismyerez, & gumme of a white vyne & of brionie & netlez.
1598 B. Yong tr. A. Pérez 2nd Pt. Diana in tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 302 Bryony, or the white vine, which runs winding about the bodies of trees like a snake.
1724 S. Switzer et al. Pract. Fruit-gardener xxxvi. 280 If he plants round his Garden the white Vine, or hang an Owl therein with his Wings expanded, it will prevent the Blight.
1809 W. Stevenson Gen. View Agric. Surrey vii. 372 No doubt, the ‘white vine’ yields finer hops than the ‘red vine’.
1907 E. F. Strange Flowers & Plants for Designers & Schools 60 The White Bryony, Wild Vine, White Vine or Tetter Berries.
1976 H. R. Pearce Hop Industry Austral. vi. 210 Four varieties—Kent Golding, White Vine, Golden Cluster and 350L—were brought over from Tasmania.
2004 Acta Entomologica Slovenica 12 124 The riparian vegetation consists of brittle willow (Salix fragilis L.), white vine (Clematis vitalba L.), and elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.).
white walnut n. the butternut, Juglans cinerea, which has light grey bark; (also) the fruit or seed of this tree.
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the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > fruit or a fruit > nut > [noun] > walnut
walnutc1050
white walnut1624
butternut1670
tender-skull1691
Madeira nut1791
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > edible nuts or nut-trees > [noun] > walnut > walnut-tree > types of > butter-nut or white walnut
white walnut1624
butternut1670
oil-nut1694
1624 Let. 22 Mar. in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) IV. ix. xix. 1806 For Timber we haue the Oake, Ashe, Poplar, blacke Walnut, white Walnut, Pines, Gumme trees.
1859 Trans. Illinois State Agric. Soc. 1857–8 3 479 The black walnut and white walnut or butternut flourish finely upon our prairies.
1916 E. T. Seton Woodcraft Man. 275 White Walnut, Oil Nut, or Butternut..rarely 100 feet high.
2010 N. M. Coggins & K. Coggins I'm not on Diet iv. 159 The white walnut is sweeter and oilier, but not as widely available as the English and black walnut.
white wheat n. any variety of wheat with light-coloured grains; cf. red wheat n.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > wheat > types of wheat grain or plant
spelta1000
farc1420
ador?1440
flaxen wheat?1523
Peak-wheat?1523
red wheat?1523
white wheat?1523
duck-bill wheat1553
zea1562
alica1565
buck1577
amelcorn1578
horse-flower1578
tiphe1578
pollard1580
rivet1580
Saracen's corn1585
French wheat1593
Lammas-wheat1594
starch corn1597
St. Peter's corn1597
frumenty1600
secourgeon1600
polwheat1601
duck-wheat1611
kidneys of wheat1611
ograve wheat1616
soft wheat1640
cone-wheat1677
Lammas1677
Poland wheat1686
Saracen corn1687
pole rivet1707
Smyrna wheat1735
hard wheat1757
hen corn1765
velvet wheat1771
white straw1771
nonpareil1805
thick-set wheat1808
cone1826
farro1828
Polish wheat1832
velvet-ear wheat1837
sarrasin1840
mummy wheat1842
snowdrop1844
Red Fife1857
flint-wheat1859
dinkel1866
thick-set1875
spring1884
macaroni wheat1901
einkorn1904
marquis1906
durum1908
emmer1908
hedgehog wheat1909
speltoid1939
?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xviiiv White whete is lyke polarde whete..but it hath anis, and..wyll make white bredde. And in Essexe they call flaxen whete white whete.
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xi. 107 Hee..mildewes the white wheate . View more context for this quotation
1767 G. Washington Diary 27 July (1976) II. 23 Began to Sow Wheat at the Mill with the early White Wheat wch. grew at Muddy hole.
1805 R. W. Dickson Pract. Agric. I. 540 Among the numerous varieties of..wheat, the white and the red are the most esteemed in general.
2006 D. DeRocco You are what you Eat 128/1 One of the biggest advantages of white wheat is that it contains less tannic acid.
white willow n. a large Eurasian willow, Salix alba, having leaves that are silvery-grey above and white beneath. [Originally after early modern German weisse wilge (1515 in the passage translated in quot. 1527, or earlier). Compare post-classical Latin salix alba (1586 or earlier; falsely attributed to the classical Latin author Pliny, who describes this variety using a paraphrase) and Hellenistic Greek ἰτέα λευκή (Theophrastus).]
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1527 L. Andrewe tr. H. Brunschwig Vertuose Boke Distyllacyon sig. T.iii/2 The best parte and tyme of his dystyllacyon is the leues stroped of the whyte wyllowes [Ger. das laub gestreifft ab von den weissen wilgen], of the newe growen braunches.
1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum 1430 Salix arborea angustifolia alba vulgaris... Our ordinary white Willow groweth quickely to be a great and tall tree.
1785 T. Martyn in tr. J.-J. Rousseau Lett. Elements Bot. xxix. 455 The White Willow, which is a tree so common in watery situations.
1882 Garden 9 Sept. 227/3 The wood of the white Willow..is always in request.
2014 Times (Nexis) 25 Jan. (Weekend section) 17 Even our big white willow Salix alba has splendid catkins.
(c)
(i) In names of minerals, rocks, chemical elements and compounds, and alloys.See also sense A. 2b.
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OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) li. 96 Heo [sc. mædere] hæfð hwites marman bleoh [L. marmoris albi colorem].
c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1052 Of Alabastre whit and reed Coral.
Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 525 Whyte marbulle, carnium.
1605 T. Tymme tr. J. Du Chesne Pract. Chymicall & Hermeticall Physicke i. vii. 26 White sublimate and arsnic..foster and hide most burning and deadly fire.
1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Sublimate Corrosive or White Mercury, a strong Corrosive Powder..us'd by Surgeons to eat away Corrupt or Proud Flesh, to cleanse old Ulcers, etc.
1741 tr. J. A. Cramer Elements Art of assaying Metals ii. lxix. 391 There is in the Mixture some of that mineral Sulphur, which commonly proceeds for the white Pyrites.
1798 R. Jameson Outl. Mineral. Shetland Islands iii. 34 In some places it is penetrated with a species of Grunstein, which is composed of white feltspar and basaltic hornblende.
1839 H. T. De la Beche Rep. Geol. Cornwall vi. 180 Plates of black mica and crystals of white felspar.
1875 J. W. Dawson Life's Dawn on Earth v. 108 White pyroxene, an anhydrous silicate of lime and magnesia.
1879 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. at Coal-field Soil,..Clay,..Loose Rock,..Coal,..Blue Clod,..Red Clunch,..Top Rock,..White Clod,..Brown Clunch.
1896 A. H. Chester Dict. Names Minerals White iron ore, an early name for siderite.
1905 R. H. Solly in Mineral. Mag. 14 74 Smithite is associated with hutchinsonite, sartorite, and rathite in the white dolomite of the Lengenbach.
(ii)
white antimony n. [in sense (a) after French antimoine blanc (1610 or earlier)] now rare †(a) = bismuth n. (obsolete); (b) a native antimony trioxide, esp. valentinite.
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the world > matter > chemistry > elements and compounds > metals > specific elements > bismuth > [noun]
tin-glassa1558
wismuth1650
white antimony1664
bismuth1668
Bi1814
1664 P. D. C. tr. N. Le Fèvre Compend. Body Chymistry II. ii. x. 271 (heading) Of Bismut, called by some white Antimony.
1795 J. G. Schmeisser Syst. Mineral. II. 230 I have a specimen which contains the white antimony and red antimony.
1974 Brit. Patent 1,369,243 2/1 Antimony trioxide is preferably employed in the form of its rhombic crystalline minerals, for example valentinite, antimony bloom or white antimony.
white arsenic n. see arsenic n. 1c.
white brass n. brass of a silvery colour; (in later use) spec. brass containing a large proportion of zinc.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > alloy > [noun] > other alloys of copper and zinc
yellow metala1535
white brass1538
tombac1606
Prince's metal1682
Bath-metal1714
pinchbeck1734
Prince Rupert's metal1789
platina1790
oroide1869
Zamak1926
1538 in S. Tymms Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds (1850) 136 One lytle pot of whyte brasse.
1899 Official Proc. North-west Railway Club Nov. 27 White brass, tin 68%, zinc 31.5%, copper 1%, and lead 0.5%.
2000 J. McHardy Don't Pay for Promise vii. 125 Counterfeit imports may use stainless steel, pewter, white brass, or rhodium.
white bronze n. now chiefly historical bronze of a silvery colour, typically containing a large proportion of tin.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > alloy > [noun] > bronze > types of
gunmetal1541
white bronze1834
findrinny1839
phosphor-bronze1875
plastic bronze1897
sentoku1902
lead bronze1937
1834 Jrnl. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 3 228 Figs. 3, 4, 5; are smaller copper (or rather white bronze) coins, stamped only on one side.
1913 Irish Rev. 20 418 Findrinny, that curious white bronze, dear to the ancient Irish, formed the groundwork, but the broad rim was of wonderfully wrought gold.
2000 Early Music 28 174/1 The frames of the instruments are decorated in gold, silver and white bronze.
white cast iron n. = white iron n. 2.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > iron > [noun] > type of iron > cast iron > other types of cast iron
grey iron1665
white iron1665
run metal1741
white cast iron1792
mottled iron1836
tender-floss1839
pot metal1854
semi-steel1858
silicon iron1878
white-heart1911
white-heart1928
1792 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 82 264 Perhaps white cast iron would not yield air so readily.
1876 R. Routledge Discov. & Inventions 19th Cent. 30 White cast iron has, when broken across, a white lustre, and the fracture presents a lamellar crystalline texture.
2010 V. Boljanovic Metal Shaping Processes iii. 67 The presence of different carbides, depending on the alloy content, makes white cast irons extremely hard and abrasion resistant, but very brittle.
white clay n. kaolin or other whitish or light-coloured clay used for making earthenware or porcelain.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > clay > [noun] > for making pottery > types of
white claya1387
bottle clay1686
porcelain clay1690
blue clay1698
tasco1726
kaolin1728
capital1738
unaker1744
saggar1786
ball clay1811
Cornish clay1829
china-clay1840
Poole clay1875
bleaching-clay1881
pâte1890
virgin clay1891
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 17 White cley [L. argilla alba] and reed forto make of crokkes and stenes and oþer vessel.
1579 J. Frampton tr. B. de Escalante Disc. Nauigation ix. f. 24v They sel the Porcelanas which is the fine dishes made of whyte clay at the gates of the Citie.
1686 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Staffs. iii. 122 White-clay, so called it seems though of a blewish colour, and used for making yellow-colour'd ware.
1852 in Proc. Amer. Antiquarian Soc. (1933) 43 373 Mr Nichols..has in contemplation the purchase of a tract of land containing a mine of white or China Clay.
2005 Time Out N.Y. 17 Feb. 56/1 Antique doll attire, crystal glassware, small figures of unfired white clay.
white copper n. now rare any of various silvery alloys of copper.
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1558 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli Secretes Alexis of Piemount vi. f. 116 Yf it be syluer, or white copper [Fr. cuiure blanc], it is knowen by the shininge of it.
1830 Mechanics' Mag. 13 96/2 The German Silver, which is now coming into vogue..is nothing more than the white copper long known in China.
2002 Econ. Hist. Rev. 55 20 More premiums were offered for a method of making white copper, ‘in the same perfection as that brought from China or Japan’.
white copperas n. now historical = white vitriol n.
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1464 in Manners & Househ. Expenses Eng. (1841) 280 For medesen for yen, take a lytell whyte coperosse.
1747 J. Wesley Primitive Physick 59 Boil very lightly one spoonful of white Copperas scrap'd.
1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 640 A very..useful [dryer]..is made by grinding in linseed..about two parts of the best white copperas.
2008 Jrnl. Early Republic 28 613 With formulae [for eyewashes] comprised of ingredients such as salt,..laudanum, white copperas.., and sassafras, their effects would have been unpredictable.
white damp n. Mining carbon monoxide gas; cf. black damp n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a), firedamp n., etc.
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the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > poison > [noun] > poisonous exhalation > in mines or stagnant pools
dampa1592
stanch1693
suffocating damp1695
stythe1708
surfeit1708
choke-damp1766
afterdamp1813
white damp1817
marsh gas1848
stanch-air1883
the world > matter > gas > [noun] > fumes or vapour > noxious vapour or gas > in mines > choke-damp
stanch1693
suffocating damp1695
stythe1708
surfeit1708
black damp1736
choke-damp1766
afterdamp1813
white damp1817
stanch-air1883
1817 J. Sutcliffe Short Introd. Study Geol. 55 On raising his candle toward the middle, it began to burn with a bright flame, arising from a mixture of oxygen: this he called the white damp.
1881 Trans. Amer. Inst. Mining Engineers 1880–1 9 191 White-damp, a poisonous gas sometimes (more rarely than fire-damp or choke-damp, etc.), encountered in coal mines.
2003 B. Freese Coal iii. 48 The second gas plaguing the miners was ‘white damp,’ which is carbon monoxide.
white earth n. clay or other earthy material that is light-coloured; (Painting) earth colour that is white.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > earth > [noun] > light-coloured
white earth1448
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > kind of earth or soil > [noun] > other soils
white earth1448
Chiltern?1530
light land1589
deads1653
rosil1691
moorland1753
prairie soil1817
residuum1828
rendzina1905
podzol1908
solonetz1924
solod1925
solonchak1925
pedalfer1928
pedocal1928
skeletal soil1932
peloid1933
sierozem1934
planosol1938
lithosol1939
regosol1949
andosol1958
Alfisol1960
Aridisol1960
Histosol1960
Spodosol1960
Andisol1978
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitener > [noun] > white pigment or paint
white leadlOE
whitea1300
blank plumbc1325
cerusec1405
white earth1448
Spanish white1546
litharge1551
mineral white1651
flake-white1660
Vienna white1816
permanent white1822
zinc white1847
constant white1854
Krems1854
Cremnitz1874
silver-white1875
lithoponea1884
baryta white1885
Charlton white1885
titanium white1920
1448 Acct. in Berks, Bucks & Oxon Archæol. Jrnl. (1907) 13 51 (MED) We payde for white erthe to dawbe ye wallys, viii d.
1589 Voy. Sir F. Drake in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations iii. sig. Mmm6v Fine China dishes of white earth, and great store of China silks.
1677 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Oxford-shire 251 The skill that hath been wanting to set up a manufacture of this transparent Earthen-ware..is the glazing of the white Earth.
1732 tr. H. Boerhaave Elements Chymistry I. 52 All natural history confirms that white wood, linen, paper, white-earth, burn slowly, but the blacks very quickly.
1843 W. A. Ferris in Life in Rocky Mts. (1940) xxv. 143 It [sc. a white clay] is sometimes found in various parts of the country, and is sometimes called ‘white earth’.
1910 A. P. Laurie Materials of Painter's Craft iv. 42 Then among the whites we have a large number of white earths, of which chalk is of course the most important.
1969 R. Mayer Dict. Art Terms & Techniques 430/1 Because of its clarity and high absorbency, white earth is well suited for, and in limited use as, a base for certain lakes.
2001 Anthropos 96 16/2 They will tell the women that they need a jar of oil, a white chicken, and white earth to make the dead rise from their graves.
white iron pyrites n. a pale form of iron pyrites; spec. marcasite.
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1793 T. King Catal. Duplicates Ores: Pt. 1st 28 White iron pyrites..Cornwall.
1837 J. D. Dana Syst. Mineral. 405 White Iron Pyrites, Pyrites rhombicus... Spear Pyrites.
1926 Prof. Papers U.S. Geol. Surv. No. 138. 118/1 Below the decomposition the ores are mainly white iron pyrites.
2005 J. Miller Art Deco 159/1 Fahrner relied heavily on cut marcasite, a white iron pyrites used since the 18th century as a substitute for diamonds.
white magnesia n. [after post-classical Latin magnesia alba (see magnesia alba n. at magnesia n. Compounds)] now historical hydrated magnesium carbonate, a white powder used medicinally and in various chemical and manufacturing processes; = magnesia alba n. at magnesia n. Compounds; cf. magnesia n. 3(a).
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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > cleansing or expelling medicines > [noun] > purgative > mineral-based
Rochelle salt1593
white magnesia1650
magnesia1755
magnesia alba1756
Seidlitz water1784
Seidlitz powder1815
Rochelle powder1820
saline1875
liquid paraffin1884
Eno1889
parolein1892
liver salt1895
liquid petrolatum1905
Kruschen salts1925
1650 J. French tr. Paracelsus Of Nature of Things viii. 86 in tr. M. Sędziwóg New Light of Alchymie Red Electrum, the white Magnesia, Aurichalcum, calcined Lead, Laton, Brasse of Cauldrons, and whatsoever metals of this kind are transmuted.
1879 Chemist & Druggist 21 481/1 Face Powder—a mixture of talc with a small proportion of white magnesia, coloured faintly with cochineal.
2002 J. Gribbin Science: Hist. vii. 245 A milder alkali, known as white magnesia, had recently been introduced into medicine as a treatment for ‘acid’ stomach.
white nickel n. (also white nickel ore) now rare any of various pale minerals rich in nickel, esp. chloanthite and rammelsbergite.
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the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > sulphides and related minerals > [noun] > skutterudite group > specific minerals
smaltine1835
white nickel1837
chloanthite1850
skutterudite1850
smaltite1852
speiss-cobalt1872
nickel-skutterudite1892
1837 J. D. Dana Syst. Mineral. 399 White nickel. Argyrites Hoffmanni. Binarsenlet of Nickel, Thom... Primary form: supposed to be the cube.
1870 H. Medlock tr. F. Schoedler Bk. Nature (U.S. ed.) 345 Nickel Glance, or white nickel ore (NiS2 + NiAs2) of grey metallic lustre.
1940 G. H. J. Adlam & L. S. Price Higher School Certificate Inorg. Chem. (ed. 2) lv. 575 The chief nickel compounds found in Nature are the simple sulphide, NiS (millerite) and the simple arsenide, NiAs2, which is tin white in colour and is called white nickel ore.
white phosphorus n. [in sense (a) after German weißer Phosphor (1843 in the passage translated in quot. 1849, or earlier)] Chemistry †(a) phosphorus which has developed a thin white crust, typically as a result of having been stored underwater (obsolete); (b) the white, waxy solid that is the most common form of phosphorus (see phosphorus n. 3); frequently attributive.
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the world > matter > chemistry > elements and compounds > metals > specific elements > phosphorus > [noun] > allotropes
yellow phosphorus1799
white phosphorus1849
Willie Peter1963
Willie Pete1972
the world > matter > chemistry > elements and compounds > metals > specific elements > phosphorus > [noun] > incrustation
white phosphorus1849
1849 H. Watts tr. L. Gmelin Hand-bk. Chem. II. v. 107 Phosphorus, kept under water…gradually becomes covered with an opaque crust which..afterwards turns white... This white phosphorus retains its original appearance when dried over oil of vitriol.
1884 E. Frankland & F. R. Japp Inorg. Chem. xxx. 371 Amorphous phosphorus, prepared by any of the above methods, invariably contains a small quantity of white phosphorus, the presence of which renders the product dangerously inflammable.
1968 Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Jrnl. 6 Mar. a10/5 A large percentage of burns are caused by American napalm and white phosphorus.
1976 New Yorker 15 Mar. 80/3 Two white-phosphorus rounds were exploded over the landing zone to indicate the ‘all clear’.
2010 Morning Star (Nexis) 10 Nov. If knowingly bombing populated areas with white phosphorus does not stem from the same mentality as the gas chambers did I would like to know the difference.
white precipitate n. now rare any of various compounds of mercury occurring as white solids; (in later use) spec. (more fully infusible white precipitate) mercury amide choride (HgNH2Cl), which has a polymeric structure and has been used medicinally, and (more fully fusible white precipitate) mercuric chloride diammoniate (Hg(NH3)2Cl2).
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the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > organic salts > [noun] > miscellaneous others
alum zucarinea1425
white precipitate1588
volatile salt or salts1639
malate1788
oxalate1788
sebate1788
succinate1789
camphorate1800
suberate1800
tannate1802
formate1807
zymate1817
uranate1819
ambreate1820
fungate1821
hydriodide1823
sorbate1823
fulminate1824
uraniate1824
pinate1829
oleate1831
pectate1831
resinate1831
xanthate1831
formobenzoate1834
racemate1835
indigotate1838
japonate1838
oxalhydrate1838
oxalovinate1838
palmate1838
pyruvate1838
roccellate1838
rubinate1838
verdite1838
oxalurate1839
sesquisalt1839
palmitate1840
rhabarbarate1840
hippurate1841
palmitin1841
sericate1841
stearate1841
oenanthylate1843
humate1844
parabanate1844
urethylane1844
angelate1846
fungiate1847
nitroprusside1849
sodium nitroprusside1849
fulminurate1855
igasurate1855
inosinate1855
phenate1857
sinapate1857
styphnate1857
anchoate1858
parellate1858
toluate1860
piperate1862
fumarate1864
glycollate1864
hydurilate1865
hyoglycocholate1865
isamates1865
itaconates1865–72
paralactate1866
porphyrate1866
usnate1866
thebolactate1867
oxalonitrate1868
rhodanate1868
stearerate1868
terebate1868
terephthalate1868
thymotate1868
turpetholate1868
violurate1868
viridate1868
xanthide1868
glycocholate1872
xylate1872
xylidate1872
tiglate1875
peptonate1876
hydracrylate1877
thymolate1880
formamidine1882
carboxylate1884
nucleate1896
phytin1905
cacodylate1908
cupferron1910
protamine sulphate1915
metallic soap1918
pentaerythritol tetranitrate1923
phosphagen1927
phosphocreatine1927
viologen1933
pentachlorophenate1938
hyaluronate1946
tetraethylpyrophosphate1947
pteroylglutamate1948
inosate-
1588 W. Clowes Prooued Pract. Young Chirurgians 123 White Præcipitate. This is a secrete, and is of very excellent force for the taking away of dead, proude, or superfluous flesh.
1741 C. Perry Brief Philos. Ess. Quick-silver in Treat. Dis. II. 308 White Precipitate is (as 'tis well known) a Preparation from Quick-silver, given inwardly from three to ten Grains.
1852 H. Watts tr. L. Gmelin Hand-bk. Chem. VI. 85 The compound immediately under consideration may be distinguished by the name of Infusible White Precipitate.
1923 J. W. Mellor Comprehensive Treat. Inorg. & Theoret. Chem. IV. xxxi. 786 Conversely, infusible white precipitate is converted back to fusible white precipitate by the action of a soln. of ammonium chloride in liquid ammonia.
2004 Jrnl. Egyptian Soc. Parasitol. 34 903 The number of adults detected after application of free DEET and white precipitate ointment to mice skin prior to infection were significantly lower than the control group.
white rock n. Mining (now rare) = white trap n.
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the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > rock > igneous rock > [noun] > trap > basalt > white rock
white rock1789
white trap1853
1789 R. Kirwan in Trans. Royal Irish Acad. 1788 2 Science 166 (table) At Litchfield [in coal mines]... White rock.
1885 A. Geikie Text-bk. Geol. iv. viii. §2. 560 Microscopical examination shows that this ‘white-rock’ or ‘white-trap’ is merely an altered form of some diabasic or basaltic rock.
1902 Rep. 9th Meeting Australasian Assoc. Advancement Sci. 293 A Silurian basalt or melaphyre occurs at Zeehan, where it is known as the ‘white rock’.
† white-row n. Mining Obsolete (more fully white-row grains) a stratum of black iron-ore particles in a white clayey matrix.
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the world > the earth > minerals > mineral deposits > features of stratum or vein > [noun] > material between > between ore
wayboard?1644
white-row1665
1665 D. Dudley Mettallum Martis sig. D5v The third measure is called the white row grains, lying in very white Earth or Clay.
1712 Philos. Trans. 1710–12 (Royal Soc.) 27 542 A blewish Bat, in which the following Iron-Stone lyes, called the White-Row.
1804 J. Parkinson Org. Remains Former World I. xvi. 171 Blackish and hard iron ore, called white-row grains, the grains being like shot.
white salt n. rock salt refined for household use; = table salt n. at table n. Compounds 1d.
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the world > food and drink > food > additive > salt > [noun] > types of salt
salt-stonea1000
saltc1000
white saltOE
bay-salt1465
rock salt1562
salt upon salt1580
mineral salt1600
sea salt1601
French salt1617
verge-salt1656
table salt1670
pigeon salt1679
salt-cakec1702
tamarisk salt1712
cat-salt1724
butter salt1749
basket-salt1753
Sunday salt1756
rock1807
stoved salt1808
solar salt1861
fishery-salt1883
gros sel1917
OE Lacnunga (2001) I. li. 26 Ado ðonne hrædic in..& hwites sealtes fela.
a1399 in W. G. Benham Oath Bk. Colchester (1907) 8 (MED) Whyt salt, gret salt, par weye, ij d.
1682 Art & Myst. of Vintners 3 Give him a good pearl with the whites of 8 Eggs, and beat them with a handful of white Salt.
1886 Encycl. Brit. XXVI. 232/1 As usually made, white salt from rock-salt may be classified into two groups.
2002 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 21 Apr. x. 22/1 And I don't just do yoga. I do the yoga diet. I eat none of the five whites—white sugar, white flour, white rice, white salt, white fat like margarine.
white sapphire n. a colourless variety of corundum lacking the impurities responsible for the blue colour of ordinary sapphire.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > corundum gemstones > [noun] > sapphire > types of
white sapphire1558
salamstone1816
water sapphire1888
1558 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli Secretes Alexis of Piemount vi. f. 118 (heading) To counterfayte a Diamonde, with a white Saphyre.
1699 tr. H. de Blancourt Art of Glass cxliv. 199 The White Sapphire being fine and fixed, is only imperfect, by reason of its wanting colour and hardness, which may be remedied by means of Art.
1775 tr. Valuable Secrets Arts & Trades 69 How to make white Sapphires.
1884 E. W. Streeter Precious Stones (ed. 4) iii. ii. 160 The varieties of Precious Corundum ascertained to exist in the Burmese dominions are..the Star Ruby, the Green, the Yellow, and the White Sapphires, [etc.].
1942 B. W. Anderson Gem Testing for Jewellers ix. 88 Perfectly colourless corundum, usually referred to as ‘White Sapphire’, is not common in nature.
2012 Westmorland Gaz. (Nexis) 21 Apr. The ring is of gilded silver and set with a gemstone of white rock crystal or white sapphire.
white schorl n. [probably after French schorl blanc (1774 or earlier) or its probable model German weißer Schorl (1773 or earlier)] now rare = albite n.
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1777 G. Forster Voy. round World II. ii. v. 26 The rocks..contained volcanic productions, or different kinds of lava, some of which are full of white and greenish sherls.
1834 R. Allan Man. Mineral. 137 Romé de l'Isle first distinguished it [sc. albite] as a particular species under the name of white schorl.
1907 Mineral. Mag. 14 335 This colourless, acicular tourmaline is not unlike the achroite or white schorl sometimes met with in the Cornish tin mines.
white tellurium n. now rare = sylvanite n. 1.
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1804 W. Turton tr. C. Linnaeus Gen. Syst. Nature VII. 297 White tellurium.
1855 J. D. Dana Man. Mineral. (ed. 7) 377 The mines of western Transylvania... Ores. Native gold, telluric gold, telluric silver, white tellurium.
1922 W. B. Hepburn Notes Dental Metall. (ed. 2) x. 74 White tellurium, (AuAgPb).(TeSb)3, Petzite, Ag2Te2Au2Te, also contain sufficient gold to repay treatment.
white tin n. [compare post-classical Latin stannum album (from 1305 in British sources)] metallic tin (cf. black tin n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a)); (in later use also) the most common and most stable allotrope of this, having a tetragonal crystal structure (contrasted with grey tin n. at grey adj. and n. Compounds 1c(a)).
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > base metal > [noun] > tin > types of
white tin1562
mine tin1602
grain tin1668
phosphor tin1668
pillion1778
grey tin1804
prillion1821
1562 All Statutes Stannary (new ed.) sig. Biii Euery man that bloweth & coyneth white tynne, shall enter his hot marke in the stewardes bokes before he coine his tynne.
1673 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Words 124 Two pound of black tin..yields a pound of White or more.
1888 Electr. Engineer Dec. 577/1 In the solution thus prepared..a brass plate quickly became coated with white tin.
2009 Art Q. Spring 63/2 Text and images were printed on sheets of white tin.
white tombac n. [after French tombac blanc (1739 or earlier)] now historical a silvery-white alloy of copper and arsenic.
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1771 J. Keir tr. P. J. Macquer Dict. Chem. I. 65 Copper is also rendered very white by mixture with arsenic. This is the white tombac [Fr. tombac blanc] which resembles silver.
1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 399 Copper combines with five-sixths of arsenic, forming a white, hard and brittle alloy;..it is called white tombac.
2000 J. D. Light in K. Karklins Stud. Material Culture Res. (Soc. Hist. Archaeol.) 4/2 Historically, it was used in glass production and is found in alloys, especially copper alloys such as ‘white tombac’.
white trap n. Mining (now rare) a pale-coloured altered basaltic rock occurring in coal-bearing formations; cf. trap n.5
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > rock > igneous rock > [noun] > trap > basalt > white rock
white rock1789
white trap1853
1853 J. B. Jukes in Rec. School Mines 1 ii. 242 The white trap descending from the roof cut both into the coal and the sandstone.
1885 A. Geikie Text-bk. Geol. iv. viii. §2. 560 Microscopical examination shows that this ‘white-rock’ or ‘white-trap’ is merely an altered form of some diabasic or basaltic rock.
1908 W. S. Boulton Pract. Coal-mining I. 45 The sill..was formerly mistaken for a limestone, the original dark-coloured basalt having been converted into a whitish-gray rock, known as ‘white trap’.
white vitriol n. now historical crude zinc sulphate, occurring as colourless crystals or a white crystalline powder.
ΚΠ
a1425 tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula 79 Þer is a spice of vitriol þat is called vitriolum romanum, i. coporose; And it is of ȝalow colour in reward of þe grenner vitriol. And þer is one of white colour bot noȝt schynyng.]
1774 L. Carter Diary (1965) II. 914 The white Vitriol is the salt made from zinck.
2004 D. A. Mays Women In Early Amer. 171/2 The most dramatic treatment was injecting a mixture of white vitriol (now known as zinc sulfate) into the urethra.
(d) In names of parts of the body and of diseases and abnormal conditions characterized by white colour.
white blood cell n. any of the colourless (as opposed to red) cells, or types of cell, normally present in the blood; = leucocyte n.Such cells include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes.
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1852 Amer. Jrnl. Med. Sci. Oct. 365 To a peculiar condition of the blood..he has given the name of leucocythemia, from the increased number of white blood-cells found in such blood.
1991 Daily Tel. 5 Jan. 14/8 The girl's bloodstream now contained normal numbers of disease fighting T-cells, a kind of white blood cell.
2008 New Yorker 11 Aug. 46/2 The bacterium is oval in shape..and has a thick, sugar-filled outer coat, which makes it difficult for white blood cells to engulf and destroy it.
† white bone n. Obsolete rare a bone of the chest (perhaps the sternum or a rib).
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the world > life > the body > structural parts > cartilage > cartilage of specific parts > [noun] > of ribs
tendron1398
white bone1511
haemapophysis1849
1511 in J. T. Fowler Memorials Church SS. Peter & Wilfrid, Ripon (1882) I. 314 Quendam N. Wallez felonice percussit cum uno le dager in pectore super le wythbone.
white cell n. = white blood cell n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > vascular system > blood > components of blood > blood corpuscle or plate > [noun] > white cells or corpuscles
white corpuscle1823
white cell1852
leucocyte1870
phagocyte1884
macrophage1887
microphage1887
lymphocyte1890
megakaryocyte1890
hyaline cell1894
macrophagocyte1896
microphagocyte1896
scavenger-cell1899
splenocyte1900
polymorph1902
granulocyte1906
lymphoblast1909
agranulocyte1913
monocyte1913
stab1929
hyaline leucocyte1931
smudge cell1937
heterophile1938
siderophage1941
1852 Med. Times & Gaz. 27 Nov. 551/1 Dr. Quain presented, under the microscope, a specimen showing an excessive number of white cells in the blood.
1960 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. VII. 485/2 Of the three kinds of white cells found in normal blood, the granulocytes, the lymphocytes, and the monocytes, it is the granulocytes that are largely affected in most forms of leukopenia.
2007 N. Angier Canon vi. 179 Over a few minutes' time, enough white cells will have accreted at the gash site to form a plug that blocks further blood loss.
white comb n. favus (infection with the fungus Trichophyton gallinae) in fowls, which first appears as small white spots on the comb; a comb affected in this way.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of birds > [noun] > disorders of poultry
roup1551
squeck1577
gargil1614
roup1614
the gapes1799
garget1817
snifters1844
white comb1853
bumble foot1854
wry-tail1880
blackhead1894
bacillary white diarrhoea1909
limber-neck1910
(avian or fowl) leucosis complex1922
pullorum1929
perosis1931
fowl paralysis1932
scissor beak1934
blue comb1939
hexamitiasis1941
pullet disease1941
Marek's disease1947
new wheat disease1950
X disease1950
sour crop1951
fowl cholera-
1853 W. B. Tegetmeier Profitable Poultry 9 I have traced many cases of disease, such as white comb in Cochins.
1908 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 24 Oct. 1263/1 In animals achorion produced symptoms similar to those in man;..in fowls it was known as white comb.
1997 Avian Dis. 41 255 Fungi..have been shown to affect the comb, producing numerous white spots, giving rise to the so called ‘white comb’.
white corpuscle n. now rare = white blood cell n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > vascular system > blood > components of blood > blood corpuscle or plate > [noun] > white cells or corpuscles
white corpuscle1823
white cell1852
leucocyte1870
phagocyte1884
macrophage1887
microphage1887
lymphocyte1890
megakaryocyte1890
hyaline cell1894
macrophagocyte1896
microphagocyte1896
scavenger-cell1899
splenocyte1900
polymorph1902
granulocyte1906
lymphoblast1909
agranulocyte1913
monocyte1913
stab1929
hyaline leucocyte1931
smudge cell1937
heterophile1938
siderophage1941
1823 Edinb. Med. & Surg. Jrnl. 19 655 They have examined the proportion which the white corpuscles and red matter together bear to the rest of the blood, in a great variety of animals.
1911 G. B. Shaw Doctor's Dilemma i. 10 Opsonin is what you butter the disease germs with to make your white corpuscles eat them.
2006 J. P. Schadé Compl. Encycl. Med. & Health 148/1 These corpuscles or blood cells are of two types, the more numerous being the red corpuscles or cells (erythrocytes), which in normal human blood outnumber the white corpuscles or cells (leukocytes) by 500 to 1.
white death n. [after Black Death n.] tuberculosis, esp. when epidemic and causing many deaths.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > wasting disease > [noun] > tuberculosis
decline1783
tubercle1795
tuberculation1822
tuberculization1823
tubercularization1839
tuberculosis1839
tuberculocele1858
white plague1860
tuberculid1868
tuberculoderma1881
white scourge1895
tubercule1901
white death1901
T.B.1912
1901 Munsey's Mag. 25 643/2 The ‘white death’, as this most fatal disease is called, does not seem to horrify us as it should.
1938 Amer. Jrnl. Nursing 38 1306/1 So long as we allow the white death to go on raging.
2007 Guardian 17 Jan. (G2 section) 8/3 Consumption—the ‘white death’, which we know today as tuberculosis—is now once again a deadly threat.
white finger n. = vibration white finger n. at vibration n. Additions; also in plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of visible parts > [noun] > of the digits
ainhum1867
toeing1871
baseball finger1873
phalangitis1877
Raynaud1883
mallet finger1894
toe-drop1899
white finger1918
1918 Monthly Rev. U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics Apr. 30 Some men continue to be liable to attacks of white fingers even after they have given up stonecutting for several years.
1978 Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ont.) 18 July 15/2 Regular users of chain saws, grinders, and pneumatic hammers, drills and chisels often develop a condition called ‘white finger’ disease.
1999 S. De Santis Life on Line Epil. 270 Robots did the welding... No one got clawhand or white finger from gripping triggers on fifty-pound welding guns two hundred times a day.
† white flood n. [ultimately after post-classical Latin leucorrhoea leucorrhœa n.] Obsolete = leucorrhœa n.; cf. white flux n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > [noun] > leucorrhoea
white flux1526
album1527
white1527
white flood1527
white menstruosity1599
fluor albus1659
eluvies1710
leucorrhœa1797
xanthorrhœa1891
1527 L. Andrewe tr. H. Brunschwig Vertuose Boke Distyllacyon sig. G.iv/2 Of the same dystilled water dronke in the mornynge and at nyght..is good for the whyte flode in women named menstruum album in latyn.
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball i. lix. 86 Wilde Tansie..preuayleth..agaynst the white floud, or issue of floures.
white gangrene n. [after French gangrène blanche (1742 or earlier)] now rare gangrene in which the affected part becomes pale or white.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > [noun] > alteration of tissue > necrosis > types of
fever sore1731
white gangrene1753
hospital ulcer1799
hospital gangrene1813
mildew-mortification1817
caseation1868
phosphorus necrosis1869
gaseous gangrene1882
coagulation necrosis1883
phossy jaw1889
phos1892
gas gangrene1896
1753 N. Torriano tr. J. B. L. Chomel Hist. Diss. Gangrenous Sore Throat 62 Many Physicians are of Opinion, that the white Gangrene is more dangerous than the livid, black and sanguinary.
1886 A. H. Buck Ref. Handbk. Med. Sci. III. 300/2 ‘White’ Gangrene seems to be simply a moist gangrene..in which there is a serous exudate.
1916 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 27 May 756/1 (heading) White gangrene of the leg.
† white haw n. [ < white adj. + haw n.3] Obsolete rare a white lesion of the eye (probably a corneal opacity or cataract).
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of eye > [noun] > albugo
white haw1551
albugo1565
leucoma1706
1551 W. Turner New Herball sig. I v The leues also broken in oyle are good for the whyte hawe, or the perle in the eye.
white jaundice n. [probably after post-classical Latin icteritia alba (1618 or earlier)] now historical and rare = chlorosis n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of blood > [noun] > deficiency of red cells > chlorosis
green sickness1547
maid's sickness1633
white jaundice1655
chlorosis1660
greens1719
white jaundice1728
chloraemia1890
1655 N. Culpeper et al. tr. L. Rivière Pract. Physick xv. i. 400 This Disease by Hippocrates, is called Chlorosis; by the Modern Physitians, the white Feaver, the Virgins Disease, the Pale color of Virgins, the white Jaundice, but vulgarly the Green-sickness.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Chlorosis A Disease vulgarly call'd the Green-Sickness, White-Jaundice, &c.
1902 F. Hollick Origin of Life (new ed.) lv. 673 Chlorosis, or green sickness... It has also been called white jaundice, white fever, and morbus virgineus.
white leg n. now chiefly historical = phlegmasia alba dolens n.; cf. milk leg n. at milk n.1 and adj. Compounds 3a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of visible parts > [noun] > disorders of leg
white leg1801
snow-shoe evil1809
sparganosis1822
milk leg1830
phlegmasia alba dolens1830
scissor leg1850
scelalgia1853
tennis-knee1901
intermittent claudication1909
knee1921
shin-cracker1928
shin-splint1930
panpygoptosis1938
shelter leg1940
phlegmasia cerulea dolens1950
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > fever > [noun] > other fevers
fever hectica1398
emitrichie1398
hectic1398
etisie1527
emphysode fever1547
frenzy-fever1613
purple fever1623
prunella1656
marcid fever1666
remittent1693
feveret1712
rheumatic fever1726
milk fever1739
stationary fever1742
febricula1746
milky fever1747
camp-disease1753
camp-fever1753
sun fever1765
recurrent fever1768
rose fever1782
tooth-fever1788
sensitive fever1794
forest-fever1799
white leg1801
hill-fever1804
Walcheren fever1810
Mediterranean fever1816
malignant1825
relapsing fever1828
rose cold1831
date fever1836
rose catarrh1845
Walcheren ague1847
mountain fever1849
mill fever1850
Malta fever1863
bilge-fever1867
Oroya fever1873
hyperpyrexia1875
famine-fever1876
East Coast fever1881
spirillum fevera1883
kala azar1883
black water1884
febricule1887
urine fever1888
undulant fever1896
rabbit fever1898
rat bite fever1910
Rhodesian sleeping sickness1911
sandfly fever1911
tularaemia1921
sodoku1926
brucellosis1930
Rift Valley fever1931
Zika1952
Lassa fever1970
Marburg1983
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of pregnancy or birth > [noun] > white leg
phlegmasia dolens1800
white leg1801
milk leg1830
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > vascular disorders > [noun] > inflammation
white leg1801
arteritis1820
phlebitis1826
aortitis1842
angiitis1844
mesoarteritis1857
periarteritis1857
periphlebitis1857
pylephlebitis1857
thrombophlebitis1873
thromboarteritis1887
periarteritis nodosa1892
vasculitis1900
polyarteritis1907
thromboangiitis obliterans1908
Buerger's disease1914
Takayasu's disease1952
1801 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 5 92 We can recommend this work as giving a very full and elaborate history and description of a disease..known by the name of œdema lacteum, or white leg.
1939 M. Spring Rice Working-class Wives v. 122 She is very anæmic, has ‘whiteleg’, constipation and piles.
1996 J. Grenfell-Hill Growing up in Wales 13 Due to the long periods of being unable to get any exercise many women developed what was commonly known as ‘white leg’.
white matter n. the paler of the two types of tissue of which the brain and spinal cord are composed, consisting mainly of myelinated axons; contrasted with grey matter.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > nervous system > cerebrospinal axis > [noun] > white matter
white matter1674
taenia1882
1674 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 9 126 So that the point A remains still moving in the white matter of the Brain.
1839–47 Todd's Cycl. Anat. & Physiol. III. 695 A convolution [of the brain] consists of a fold of grey matter, enclosing a process of white or fibrous matter.
2002 Guardian 18 Jan. i. 11/7 Conventional MRI scans were able to see inside the brain, but could not get a clear picture of the white matter.
† white menstruosity n. [ultimately after post-classical Latin menstruum album (see album n.1); compare earlier white flux n. 1a] Obsolete rare an instance of leucorrhoea.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > [noun] > leucorrhoea
white flux1526
album1527
white1527
white flood1527
white menstruosity1599
fluor albus1659
eluvies1710
leucorrhœa1797
xanthorrhœa1891
1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke 220/1 For the whyte menstruosytyes [Ger. weissen Fluss] of a Woman. Take whyte horehownde [etc.].
white plague n. = white death n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > wasting disease > [noun] > tuberculosis
decline1783
tubercle1795
tuberculation1822
tuberculization1823
tubercularization1839
tuberculosis1839
tuberculocele1858
white plague1860
tuberculid1868
tuberculoderma1881
white scourge1895
tubercule1901
white death1901
T.B.1912
1860 O. W. Holmes Professor's Story x, in Atlantic Monthly May 611/1 In the dead winter, when the white plague of the North has caged its wasted victims.
1909 World To-Day Sept. 924/1 The menace of the White Plague is appalling.
2003 G. Newton From Victoria to Viagra (Wellcome Trust) 24/1 Expectations were high for the final elimination of the white plague, but almost immediately doctors and scientists were faced with the problem of bacterial resistance to the drug.
white scour n. severe diarrhoeal illness in livestock, (in later use) spec. that caused by Escherichia coli or other bacterial infection in young calves; also in plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of cattle > [noun] > bacterial disorders
rot?1523
white scour1742
lamsiekte1790
puckeridgea1793
puck1834
Texas fever1867
cattle-fever1893
piroplasmosis1901
abortus fever1925
brucellosis1930
1742 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandman July 70 In the wet Summer 1735, the white Scour proved fatal to great Numbers of Sheep.
1963 Times 17 May 5/7 (advt.) Today the vet can control mortality from diseases like white scours.
2003 N. Devon Jrnl. (Nexis) 31 July 3 She [sc. a cow] developed white scour and pneumonia.
white scourge n. now rare (more fully great white scourge) = white death n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > wasting disease > [noun] > tuberculosis
decline1783
tubercle1795
tuberculation1822
tuberculization1823
tubercularization1839
tuberculosis1839
tuberculocele1858
white plague1860
tuberculid1868
tuberculoderma1881
white scourge1895
tubercule1901
white death1901
T.B.1912
1895 Pop. Sci. Monthly Nov. 35 It is time that the veil should be drawn from the loathsomeness of ‘the great white scourge’, that the false sentiment which poetry and prose have thrown over infection, blood poisoning, suppuration, and decay should be dissipated.
1949 Public Health 63 20/1 Only by pursuing the most zealous and intensive campaign with chest physician, paediatrician and medical officer of health playing their respective roles can we hope to eradicate the ‘White Scourge’ from our midst.
2001 J. White London in Twentieth Cent. vi. 233 TB, the ‘White Death’ or ‘White Scourge’ of the Edwardian years, which in all its ghastly guises killed almost 10,000 Londoners in the County in 1906, had become less pernicious by 1936, though still accounting for over 3,000 deaths.
white softening n. now rare infarction of brain tissue unaccompanied by haemorrhage (cf. red softening n. at red adj. and n. Compounds 1f(c)(i)); an instance or area of this.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of nervous system > [noun] > disorders of brain > softening of brain
softening of the brain1819
white softening1827
red softening1834
brain softening1844
1827 N. Amer. Med. & Surg. Jrnl. 4 122 Abscesses are not uncommon in the brain. The pus is often mixed with the cerebral matter, but, nevertheless, is more distinct than in the white softening described above.
1958 Electroencephalogr. & Clin. Neurophysiol. 10 595/2 Autopsy revealed a white softening of part of the deep left sylvian region.
white swelling n. swelling without redness; an area or instance of such swelling; (in later use) spec. (a) swelling of a joint caused by the effusion of fluid, esp. as a result of tuberculous arthritis; (b) = phlegmasia alba dolens n. (cf. white leg n.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > disorders of joints > [noun] > watery swelling
white swelling1560
hydrarthrosis1879
1560 Bible (Geneva) Lev. xiii. 19 And in the place of the bile there be a white swelling, or a white spot some what reddish, it shalbe sene of the Priest.
1676 R. Wiseman Severall Chirurg. Treat. iv. iv. 293 One about 19 years of age..was suddenly seized with a white Swelling in his right Elbow, rendring the Joint immovable.
1772 D. MacBride Methodical Introd. Theory & Pract. Physic 194 Watery tumour of a joint, usually termed White-swelling.
1949 H. W. C. Vines Green's Man. Pathol. (ed. 17) xviii. 473 More commonly..the swollen appearance of the joint (white swelling) is due partly to the synovial hyperplasia and partly to infection of the periarticular soft tissues.
2007 A. Caggiato & C. Allegra in J. J. Bergan Vein Bk. i. 4/2 The ‘white swelling’ of the lower limb or phlegmasia alba dolens was accounted for by Charles White in 1784.
white tissue n. †(a) tissue poorly supplied with blood; a tissue of this kind (obsolete); (b) tissue that is naturally white or whitish in colour, esp. (more fully white fibrous tissue) dense fibrous connective tissue (cf. yellow tissue at yellow adj. 1g).
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > bodily substance > connective tissue > [noun] > type of
white tissue1826
interstitial tissue1835
stroma1835
mucous tissue1860
neuroglia1860
scar tissue1875
glia1886
astroglia1925
1826 J. Bell & R. La Roche tr. F. J. V. Broussais Treat. Physiol. appl. Pathol. ii. xi. 479 It will be necessary to say that this chronic inflammation of the white tissues bears no analogy to that of the sanguineous vessels.
1861 R. Barwell Treat. Dis. Joints i. 39 The fibres [of the ligaments of joints] are straighter than in the ordinary white tissue.
1904 J. A. Culler 3rd Bk. Anat., Physiol. & Hygiene ii. 31 Connective tissue... One kind is called white fibrous tissue. It forms the ligaments which bind the bones together at the joints... Even the bone to which it is attached will break before the white tissue will give way.
2009 A. S. Scott & E. Fong Body Struct. & Functions (ed. 11) iv. 58 (table) Dense fibrous tissue is also called white fibrous tissue.
C2. Compounds of the noun.
a. Instrumental.Some of the following could be construed as parasynthetic or complementary compounds of the adjective: compare Compounds 1a, Compounds 1b.
(a)
white-bordered adj.
ΚΠ
a1750 A. Hill Wks. (1753) IV. 81 I have, a spark, of captain Smart's fine airs; His front white-border'd, with a fringe of hairs.
1771 J. R. Forster tr. P. Osbeck Voy. China II. 34 The four or five next [quill-feathers] are ash-coloured, with green upper margins and white bordered tops.
1830 Withering's Arrangem. Brit. Plants (ed. 7) IV. 303 White-bordered Cupping Peziza.
1998 Amer. Photo Sept. 82/1 It's a surprise to see a black-and-white image in the familiar white-bordered print.
white-clad adj.
ΚΠ
1640 J. Gower tr. Ovid Festivalls ii. 40 The white-clad croud with joyfull voice applaud.
1886 Cornhill Mag. Sept. 249 White-clad Arabs.
1996 Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) 29 Apr. 4/1 Saudi television showed a sea of white-clad humans leaving Mount Arafat.
white-clothed adj.
ΚΠ
1563 L. Humphrey Nobles or of Nobilitye i. sig. d.v The Hebrewes terme them men of name and fame, most famous and farthest knowen, and cristall (as it were) and white clothed.
1669 Primer Three Offices Virgin Mary 28 Thee the white clothed army of Martyrs; doth praise.
1897 ‘A. Hope’ Phroso ii Groups of white-clothed women.
2004 Times 4 Sept. 21/2 The white-clothed urbanites in Blank on Blank enact a stylisation of recognisable human behaviour.
white-edged adj.
ΚΠ
1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum v. vi. 476 It is much divided into branches, and bearing at the ends of them, scaly greene, but more white edged leaves.
1859 C. Darwin Orig. of Species 19 White-edged tail-feathers.
1995 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 12 Jan. 10/1 The breaking waves have a crêpe-papery, white-edged thinness to them.
2008 M. Hicks Gathering of Soldiers vi. 146 It [sc. the battle standard] was really red in colour with a white-edged corner to corner cross, or saltire, in dark blue.
white-flecked adj.
ΚΠ
?a1425 MS Hunterian 95 f. 160v, in Middle Eng. Dict. at Whit Take..bursa pastoris, orpin, souþistel wiþ white-flecked leues, sengrene, [etc.].
1860 Chambers's Jrnl. 30 June 404/1 The white-flecked waves washed up gaily over the brown rocks and shining shingle.
1900 M. E. Wilkins One Good Time in Love of Parson Lord 196 Her black..gown was..white-flecked..with..winged seeds of passed flowers.
2001 Vanity Fair Oct. 214/3 A strapping, dark-haired man with a white-flecked beard and windburned face.
white-heaped adj.
ΚΠ
1860 F. G. Tuckerman Poems 190 The early bee On the maple log, the white-heaped cherry-tree That hummed all day in the sun.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses i. iii. [Proteus] 38 Belly without blemish, bulging big, a buckler of taut vellum, no, whiteheaped corn.
white-quartered adj.
ΚΠ
1794 Catal. Estate H. Keymer (J. Morris & H. Keymer) 14 Children's white quartered caps.
1962 I. Murdoch Unofficial Rose iv. 41 She thrust a white-quartered green-eyed Madame Hardy [rose] in between two lilac-shaded pink-scrolled Louise Odiers.
white-robed adj.
ΚΠ
1618 T. Middleton Peace-maker sig. B2 Where are all these rich and oppulent blessings that this tender white rob'd Peace hath brought with her?
1816 W. Wordsworth Imagination—ne'er before Content 76 The white-robed choir.
1893 W. Sharp in Mem. (1910) 214 A white-robed Bedouin herding goats.
1998 Fortean Times July 8/1 For the first time in a decade, about 100 white-robed druids will be allowed into the enclosure round Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice.
white-spread adj.
ΚΠ
1788 W. Peebles Great Things Lord hath done for Nation 55 'Tis thine to send, with white spread sails unfurl'd, Our commerce and our trade around the wond'ring world.
1820 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Apr. 40/2 There was all this while a blazing fire in the cottage—a white spread table—and beds prepared for the family to lie down in peace.
1918 D. H. Lawrence New Poems 26 Daisies that waken all mistaken white-spread in expectancy.
1999 H. Corinna in R. Sterling Adventure of Food 23 We sit across a white-spread table, in a restaurant as new to me as he is, vacant for the night.
(b) In sense B. 18, as white-controlled, white-led, white-owned, white-run, etc.See also white-dominated adj. at Compounds 1f.
ΚΠ
1900 J. H. S. Gibb in Rep. Lands Settlement Comm. S. Afr. 237/1 in Parl. Papers 1901 (Cd. 626) XXIV. 23 The total number of white-owned farms returned to me is 95.
1919 E. Whitney Internat. Trade in Footwear (U.S. Dept. Commerce Misc. Ser., No. 76) 62 The exclusive white-operated shoe stores [sc. in the Philippine Islands].
1922 Daily Times-Enterprise (Thomasville, Georgia) 10 Feb. 8/3 The white-controlled republican organization in Georgia.
1937 Nevada State Jrnl. 3 Apr. 7/3 The Black Derby..is a white-managed club offering colored music and entertainment.
1953 Jrnl. Negro Educ. 22 382/1 Negro units—notably the white-led 92nd Division—received uncommonly wide publicity for its [sic] shortcomings and difficulties.
1977 Jet 18 Aug. 15/1 The white-owned media newspapers, television and radio—are racist.
1994 H. Holland Born in Soweto 8 The numerous beer-halls provided by Soweto's white-run municipality.
2009 W. Beinart in T. Chesters Land Rights vi. 186 Former white-owned farms across the fence..had richer firewood and grazing resources.
b.
† white-exceeding adj. Obsolete poetic exceeding or surpassing white, whiter than white.
ΚΠ
1605 J. Sylvester tr. Ode on Astræa in tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. 611 The white-exceeding skin Of thy neck and dimpled chin.
white balance n. = colour balance n. at colour n.1 Compounds 4.In the production of coloured photographic or video images, the colour balance necessary to produce an accurate image can be calibrated by viewing the effect of a given setting when producing an image of a white object.
ΚΠ
1948 C. L. Thomson Color Transparencies vii. 118 Illumination is too small to maintain the ‘white’ balance.
1984 Pop. Photogr. Dec. 80/2 To avoid overriding some of the effect, set your camera's white balance before you put on the filter.
2012 Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, Va.) 17 Sept. a8/3 The speaker will be Greg Versen, who will demonstrate how to use a gray card to improve depth and white balance in images.

Derivatives

whitelike adj. somewhat rare whitish, pale.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [adjective] > whitish
whitisha1398
whitelike1608
albid1657
1608 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 20 379 The Petroleum which is found in Italy is a white-like Spirit of Turpentine.
1893 R. L. Stevenson Catriona xxii. 261 She looked white-like as she beheld the bursting of the sprays.
1988 R. Skrabanek We're Czechs (2005) iv. 92 Honey put up in jars normally crystallized into a thick, whitelike sugar well before time to rob the bees again.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

whitev.1

Brit. /wʌɪt/, U.S. /(h)waɪt/
Forms: Old English gehwitt- (past participle, inflected form), Old English hwitan (rare), Old English hwitian, late Old English gehwittod (Kentish, past participle), early Middle English hwite, early Middle English hwyte, early Middle English iswytede (past participle, transmission error), early Middle English iwhyȝttede (past participle), Middle English whighte, Middle English whyȝte, Middle English wyte, Middle English yhuited (south-eastern, past participle), Middle English yhuyted (south-eastern, past participle), Middle English–1500s whitt- (inflected form), Middle English–1500s whyte, Middle English– white, late Middle English qwhyet (3rd singular present indicative), 1500s whytt- (inflected form); also Scottish pre-1700 quhite, pre-1700 whyttit (past participle). N.E.D. (1924) also records a form Middle English whytt-.
Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.
Etymology: Cognate with, or formed similarly to: (i) (in sense 1) Old Saxon hwīton to be white, to become white, and also (with different stem class) Old High German wīzēn to become white, and (ii) (in sense 2) Old High German wīzen , hwīzen (Middle High German wīzen , German weißen ), and (with prefix: compare y- prefix) Gothic gahweitjan , all in sense ‘to make white, to cause to become white’, all < the Germanic base of white adj. Compare whiten v.In Old English usually a weak verb of Class II (the existence of a Class I by-form, comparable to the continental Germanic transitive verbs, is suggested by occasional forms). The prefixed form gehwītian to whiten, to cause to become white (compare y- prefix) is also attested; compare also ahwītian to whiten, to cause to become white (compare a- prefix1).
†1. intransitive (a) To become or grow white; to assume a white colour or appearance. (b) To be white. Cf. whiten v. 3. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitening > become white [verb (intransitive)]
whiteeOE
lactesce1696
eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) i. xxxviii. 96 Gif þæs dolges ofras synd to hea ymb stric mid hate isene swiðe leohtlice þæt þæt fel hwitige.
OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 362 Hwæs blod readaþ on rosan gelicnysse, and hwæs lichama hwitað on lilian fægernysse.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 119 Þe boch hwenne hit adeadeð. hit hwiteð wið uten.
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. xli. 1191 In wynter..alle þynge whyteþ by colde and by froste.
a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) v. l. 276 Ful pale y-woxen was þe moone And whiten gan the Orisonte shene Al Estward.
R. Misyn tr. R. Rolle Fire of Love 75 He qwhyet [L. candet] truly qwhittar þan snaw.
a1550 ( G. Ripley Compend of Alchemy (Bodl. e Mus.) f. 55v Drynes procedeth as whitith the matter.
1578 J. Banister Hist. Man ix. f. 111v Marey..is there made and reposed, and..doth white, & concrease, till it become a substaunce fit to the nourishyng of the bones.
1615 G. Markham Eng. Hus-wife in Countrey Contentments ii. iii. 104 At the end of the first weeke you shal buck it [sc. the cloth] as before in Lie and ashes..if you see it whites apace, you need not to giue it any more bucks.
2.
†a. transitive. To give a white colour or appearance to; to cause to grow or become white. Cf. whiten v. 2c. Obsolete.In quot. OE apparently with reference to the preparation of an arrow for use; the details of the process implied are uncertain.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitening > make white [verb (transitive)]
whiteOE
emblanch1393
blank1484
whiten1552
frost1596
albify1599
frostbite?1605
hoar1605
dealbate1623
impearl1640
marble1658
bewhite1678
whiten1699
rewhiten1725
bewhiten1810
ermine1825
powder1890
OE Riming Poem 62 Flan mon hwiteð.
lOE Canterbury Psalter l. 9 Lavabis me et super nivem dealbabor : þu þweæhst me & ofer snæw ic bio gehwitad [OE Cambridge Psalter gehwitod, OE Lambeth Psalter gehwited].
c1330 Simonie (Auch.) (1991) l. 294 Be þe hond iwhited, it shal go god inouh.
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. xxiii. 1293 Colde..blakeþ druye substaunce and whiteþ þe moiste substaunce.
1561 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger Hundred Serm. vpon Apocalips xxxvi. 230 They haue washed and whited their garmentes in the bloud of the Lambe.
1568 T. Hacket tr. A. Thevet New Found Worlde vii. f. 10v Milke..is but bloud whitted in ye dug.
1601 B. Jonson Fountaine of Selfe-love iii. v. sig. F3v Your Passion hath sufficiently whited your Face. View more context for this quotation
1649 Lanc. Tracts Civil War (Chetham Soc.) 234 Who can white a Blackmore?
1724 E. Ward Merry Travellers (ed. 2) i. 16 No yellow Fowl, or stale one, green, Can ever in his Shop be seen, Because he puts in use a strange Device, to white 'em when they change.
b. transitive. To make white by coating with a white-coloured substance, esp. to paint or render (a wall, building, etc.) with whitewash. Also with over. Occasionally figurative. Cf. whiten v. 2a. Now somewhat rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitening > make white [verb (transitive)] > cover or coat with white
whiteOE
besnowa1000
whiten?a1425
oversnow1609
candya1612
whitewash1722
society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > immunity or exemption from liability > excuse > excuse (a person or fault) [verb (transitive)] > extenuate
whiteOE
gloze1390
colourc1400
emplasterc1405
littlec1450
polish?c1450
daub1543
plaster1546
blanch1548
flatter1552
extenuate1570
alleviate1577
soothe1587
mincea1591
soothe1592
palliate1604
sweeten1635
rarefy1637
mitigate1651
glossa1656
whitewash1703
qualify1749
OE Vercelli Homilies (1992) vii. 136 Ge witon ðæt ælc hus bið þe fægere þe hit man hwitað.
c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. iii. l. 61 I shal keure ȝowre kirke..Wowes do whitten.
c1450 tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Lyfe Manhode (Cambr.) (1869) 121 As the snow embelisheth and whiteth a dong hep with oute.
1572 in T. Wright Churchwardens' Accts. Ludlow (1869) 149 For lyme, to make an end of whittinge the churche.
1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 23 A farthing worth of flower to white him ouer and wamble him in.
1639 J. Fletcher et al. Bloody Brother iv. i. sig. G3 Thou..Whit'st over all his vices.
1668 W. Charleton Onomasticon Zoicon 47 Blatta..Molendinaria, the Miller, because always whited with a delicate Down.
a1714 E. Freke Remembrances (2001) 237 I new slatted and made the whole chancell of Billney tightt and glased itt and whited itt together with the church.
1777 J. Brand Observ. Pop. Antiq. 270 (note) At Oxford, at this Time, the little Crosses cut in the Stones of Buildings, to denote the Division of the Parishes, are whited with Chalk.
1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward III. v. 131 When he had thus cleared his conscience, or rather whited it over like a sepulchre.
1898 Amer. Gardening 11 June 447/2 As soon as the bees begin to white the tops of the frames with new wax we know that they want more room.
1988 D. DeLillo Libra 279 With..a heavy dusting of flour on his face and clothes, whiting his eyebrows and the backs of his hands.
c. transitive. To make white or paler in colour through a process that removes natural colour, impurities, or stains; to blanch; to bleach. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > whitening > make white [verb (transitive)] > bleach
bleachc1200
blanch?a1400
white?a1425
whiten1548
whitewash1576
to whiten up1808
overbleach1857
?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 166 Wex is wasshen & whited [?c1425 Paris made white, L. dealbatur] in meltyng it with watre.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 457/1 I bleche, I whyte clothe.
1541 Act 33 Hen. VIII c. 15 §1 The said lynnen yarne must lye wtoute..for..one half yere to be whyted.
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Medicine whyche wyll whyte teeth, Dentifricium.
1611 Bible (King James) Mark ix. 3 His raiment became..exceeding white as snow: so as no Fuller on earth can white them. View more context for this quotation
1658 J. Evelyn tr. N. de Bonnefons French Gardiner 208 The manner of whiting it [sc. lettuce] under earthen Pots.
1714 tr. French Bk. of Rates 128 Wax, bleached or whited in Foreign Parts, and imported.
1972 E. Wigginton Foxfire Bk. 181 And it was the sulfur that whited the apples, and they had a little sulfur flavor.

Phrases

† to white two walls with one brush and variants: to achieve two aims at once. Cf. to kill two birds with one stone at stone n. 16b. Obsolete. [After classical Latin duo parietes de eadem fidelia dealbare (in a letter of Curius to Cicero: Cicero Epistulae ad Familiares 7. 29. 2).]
ΚΠ
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 373 That at anes, as vses to be said, tha wil quhite tua walis [L. ut una ex fidelia duos parietes..dealbarent].
1629 H. Burton Babel No Bethel To R. Butterfield sig. ***3 I doe in this Booke..as the Proverbe is, white two walls with one brush.
1651 T. Hall Pulpit Guarded 41 I shall white two Walls with one Brush, and answer to both these Objections under one head.

Phrasal verbs

to white out
1. transitive. Printing. To use white space on or around (a page or text). Frequently in passive. Now somewhat rare.
ΚΠ
1892 A. Oldfield Pract. Man. Typogr. i. 15 Reglets for whiting out bills and placards are made of wood.
1905 Printing Art Mar. 17 If the lines are badly spaced or whited out, the balance of the page is destroyed.
1923 Inland Printer Mar. 849/3 The leaflet is not well whited out, the type matter seeming to crowd the border at the left quite too closely.
2. transitive.
a. Of snow: to cover or obscure (the ground, sky, etc.). Cf. whiteout n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > precipitation or atmospheric moisture > snow > [verb (transitive)] > cover with snow
snowc1400
to white out1940
1940 Washington Post 6 Feb. 1/1 (headline) Helsinki denies report as snow whites out cities, balks air raiders.
1959 Mich. Alumnus 23 May 236/1 The snow sifted down and the prairie was whited out by the drifting stinging pellets.
1997 Observer 16 Nov. (Review section) 18/2 The author finds himself caught in a terrifying ground blizzard in Wyoming that whites out the highway he hurtles along.
2006 N.Y. Times 14 Oct. b4/5 The sky was essentially whited out by whirling clouds of snow.
b. To obscure or cover with something white; spec. to cover (a mistake) with correction fluid.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > efface, obliterate [verb (transitive)] > by covering with liquid
unpainta1648
bisk1713
to paint out1834
to black out1850
ink out1881
to white out1974
Tippex1983
1974 N.Y. Mag. 8 July 66/2 In a magisterial erasure, Matisse whites out the belly-button—an extra dot that distracted.
1978 M. Duffy Housespy vi. 141 Its long shop window was whited out.
1982 R. Leigh Girl with Bright Head xi. 74 There's also a couple of places where she has had to white out mistakes and type over them.
2006 J. W. Hall in L. Standiford Miami Noir 26 Jumpy used a battered Royal typewriter and he whited out his mistakes with big glops.
3. intransitive. Of a person: to see nothing but white, esp. as a prelude to losing consciousness. Also of the mind: to go blank.In quot. 1972 as part of an extended pun.
ΚΠ
1972 Lima (Ohio) News 22 Aug. 8/4 Slappy White, the brilliant black comic, just signed a $1 million deal... He got so excited, he whited out. When he came to, he commented ‘White is beautiful, but so is green.’
1990 R. Price Tongues of Angels i. 54 What on Earth would I say? My mind whited out.
1994 Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) 17 June b1/4 I didn't black out, I whited out. Everything turned white.
2006 R. King Sound of Butterflies (2008) viii. 199 Every time he picked up his pen his mind whited out as if filled with glare.
2012 C. Harris Bad Hair Day 217 The pain was so intense that I whited out again.
4. intransitive. Of vision: to be impaired by exposure to sudden bright light. Also occasionally transitive: to dazzle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > not seeing or preventing from seeing > prevent from seeing [verb (intransitive)] > be prevented from seeing
to white out1978
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > not seeing or preventing from seeing > prevent from seeing [verb (transitive)] > dazzle
ablendOE
ablind?c1225
awileg-en?c1225
astonec1385
dazea1529
dazzle1536
blaze1570
bedazzlea1616
to white out1978
the world > matter > light > artificial light > an artificial light > [verb (intransitive)] > shine brightly and suddenly
to white out1978
the world > matter > light > artificial light > an artificial light > [verb (transitive)] > shine brightly and suddenly on
to white out1978
1978 ‘A. Stuart’ Vicious Circles 22 At once my eyes whited out—as disoriented by the brilliant evening sun as a bat caught by a searchlight.
1983 Listener 3 Feb. 32/3 In Bristol the Little Theatre performs the stage play, using lasers and whiting-out audiences.
2009 O. Woods Soul Key xxix. 300 Raiq instinctively brought up her hands to shield her eyes, but it was too late: her vision whited out.
 to white up
1. intransitive. To apply white make-up to one's body, esp. the face, typically in order to play the part of a white person. Cf. to black up 2b at black v. Phrasal verbs, to whiten up 3b at whiten v. Phrasal verbs.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > the staging of a theatrical production > stage [verb (intransitive)] > make up
black1579
blacken1699
to make up1839
to whiten up1878
to blacken up1884
to black up1890
to white up1890
1890 C. Cole Auroraphone iii. 67 The cosmetic had suggested to Mel the idea of whiting up and playing ghost.
1906 J. S. Gates Live Dolls' House Party v. 57 I don't like to be the only lady of color, so I'se thinkin' I'd ax you might I white up!
1953 Phylon 14 259 A young Jamaican, Mark Heath.., played the part of the workman without ‘whiting up’.
1980 S. Kauffmann in E. Hill Theater of Black Amer. (1987) iv. 342 When Canada Lee played in Webster's ‘Duchess of Malfi’,..he ‘whited up’ for his part.
2003 M. Simkins What's my Motivation? i. 50 Russell Harty has had to black up as a Negro servant..and Honeydews has had to white up to play my mother.
2. transitive. To apply white make-up to (a person, esp. an actor), typically in order to play the part of a white person. Frequently in passive. Cf. to black up 2a at black v. Phrasal verbs, to whiten up 3a at whiten v. Phrasal verbs.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > the staging of a theatrical production > stage [verb (transitive)] > make up
to make up1778
to whiten up1842
to blacken up1861
to black up1877
to white up1906
1906 J. S. Gates Live Dolls' House Party v. 62 Dinah..was finally ready in her yellow gown and all ‘whited’ up, her ironed hair trying in vain to stay straight.
1994 Toronto Star (Nexis) 8 July (Entertainment section) c8 The actors have all been whited-up to appear as if the blood has been drained from their bodies.
2008 Time Out (Nexis) 27 Nov. 30 Tameka Empson was whited up to resemble the Queen.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

whitev.2

Brit. /wʌɪt/, U.S. /(h)waɪt/, Scottish English /hwʌit/, Irish English /(h)waɪt/
Forms: English regional (northern) 1700s– white, 1800s– wheyte; Scottish pre-1700 quhite, pre-1700 whytt, pre-1700 1700s– white, 1700s wheat, 1800s whate (past tense), 1800s whit, 1800s whyte, 1800s– fite (north-eastern), 1900s– fyte (north-eastern), 1900s– wheit, 1900s– white-eet (past participle); Irish English (northern) 1900s– whit, 1900s– white.
Origin: A variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: thwite v.
Etymology: Variant of thwite v., with simplification of the initial consonant cluster (for a similar phonological development, compare e.g. whang n.1). Compare earlier whittle v.2
Scottish, Irish English (northern), and English regional (northern).
transitive. To cut shavings from the surface of (a stick, etc.) with a knife or other sharp instrument; to whittle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > cutting > cut [verb (transitive)] > cut off or away (with an instrument)
thwitea900
telwec1440
mowc1450
top1509
summer top1548
whittle1552
white1567
shave1605
1567 Compend. Bk. Godly Songs (1897) 72 Stock and stane..Quhilk men may carfe or quhite.
1662 in W. Hunter Biggar & House of Fleming (1862) 4 Elf-boyis, wha whyttis and dyghtis thame [sc. arrow-heads] with a sharp thing lyke a paking neidle.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 267 Boys, who white a stick..until it be so worn down that it become useless.
1890 J. Service Thir Notandums ix. 62 Ye can be whitin' a stick.
1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 156/1 Ah's whitin doon this stick ti fit yon hooal.
1996 C. I. Macafee Conc. Ulster Dict. 387/1 White/Whit, literally shave off the bark of wood to show the white: whittle.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.adv.n.eOEv.1eOEv.21567
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