whitewashes
|white/wash/es|
🇺🇸
/ˈwaɪt.wɑːʃ/
🇬🇧
/ˈwaɪt.wɒʃ/
(whitewash)
cover (with white) / conceal faults
Etymology
'whitewash' is a compound of 'white' + 'wash' in Modern English; 'white' (Old English 'hwīt') meant 'light in color' and 'wash' (Old English 'wǣscan') meant 'to cleanse or apply a liquid'.
'whitewash' appears in Middle English as a compound meaning a wash or coating of white lime; the term kept its literal sense (a white coating) and later developed figurative senses of 'conceal' or 'cover up' in modern usage.
Initially it meant 'a white coating or wash', but over time it developed a figurative meaning of 'to conceal or gloss over faults', which is common in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'whitewash': a coating of white lime or paint applied to a surface
Several whitewashes of the garden fence were needed to protect it from the weather.
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Noun 2
plural of 'whitewash' (figurative): an attempt to hide or minimize wrongdoing or faults
The committee's whitewashes failed to convince the public.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'whitewash': to coat something with whitewash or white paint (literal)
He whitewashes the old shed every spring to keep it looking fresh.
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Last updated: 2025/10/31 08:45