whites
|whites|
/waɪts/
(white)
color of purity
Etymology
'white' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'hwīt', where the Proto-Germanic root '*hwītaz' meant 'bright, white'.
'white' changed from Old English 'hwīt' (from Proto-Germanic '*hwītaz') and through Middle English 'white' to the modern English word 'white'.
Initially it meant 'bright, shining' or 'light in color'; over time it stabilized into the modern primary meaning of the color 'white' and extended metaphorically to related senses (e.g., innocence, racial category).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'white' used to refer collectively to people of European ancestry or 'white' racial group (informal/collective use).
The neighborhood used to be mostly populated by whites.
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Noun 2
the white parts of eggs (egg whites, used in cooking).
This recipe calls for three whites and two yolks.
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Noun 3
white clothing or linens considered as a laundry category ('the whites').
Put the whites in with the bleach.
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Noun 4
the side or pieces that are white in board games such as chess or checkers ('the whites' vs 'the blacks').
In this match the whites have the first move.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present tense of 'white' — to make or cover something white (e.g., paint or whiten).
She whites the fence every summer.
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Last updated: 2025/09/02 01:33