white
gb/wˈaɪt/ us/wˈaɪt/
A1
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
Having the color of milk or snow
Being the color of milk or snow.
Usage pattern:
[something] is white
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'white' with 'light' when describing colors; 'light' means not dark, but not necessarily white.
Synonyms
pale (Less intense color, can refer to any light shade, not only white.)
Antonyms
black (The opposite color, absorbing all light.)
Collocations
bright white
|pure white
|snow white
|white shirt
|white paint
Themes
colors
|appearance
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She wore a white dress to the party.
- The kitchen walls are painted white.
- Snow covered the mountains in a thick white layer.
Learner examples
- The paper is white.
- My shoes are white.
- The clouds are white today.
Noun
A1
entity
2
The color of milk or snow
The color of milk or snow.
Usage pattern:
the white of [something]
Synonyms
whiteness (Refers to the quality or state of being white.)
Antonyms
black (The darkest color, opposite of white.)
Collocations
bright white
|pure white
|off-white
Themes
colors
|appearance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- White is my favorite color.
- The artist used white to highlight the painting.
- She added some white to lighten the blue paint.
Learner examples
- White is a nice color.
- I like white on walls.
- We painted the door white.
adjective
B1
property
3
Having light skin color (ethnicity)
Having light skin, usually from Europe or parts of Asia and North America.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is white
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'white' as a racial term with its use for describing objects' colors; context is important.
Synonyms
Caucasian (More formal or technical term for people of European descent.)
Antonyms
Black (Refers to people with dark skin, often of African descent.)
Collocations
white people
|white population
Themes
people
|identity
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is a white woman from Canada.
- The majority of the town's population is white.
- He identifies as white.
Learner examples
- My teacher is white.
- They are white people.
- He is white and tall.
Noun
B1
entity
4
People with light skin (ethnicity)
People with light skin from Europe or similar places.
Synonyms
Caucasians (More formal demographic term for people of European descent.)
Antonyms
Blacks (Refers to people with dark skin, often of African descent.)
Collocations
whites and minorities
Themes
people
|identity
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Whites make up the majority in this region.
- The policy affected both whites and non-whites equally.
- He studies how whites and other groups interact.
Learner examples
- Whites are many in this city.
- Some whites live here.
- Whites and Blacks work together.
Noun
A2
entity
5
Egg part that turns white when cooked
The clear part around the yellow yolk in an egg that becomes white when cooked.
Synonyms
albumen (Technical term used in food science or biology.)
Collocations
egg whites
Themes
food
|food_drink
Examples
- Separate the yolk from the white before baking.
- Egg whites are often used in meringues.
- She whipped the egg whites until stiff peaks formed.
Learner examples
- I eat egg whites for breakfast.
- Egg whites are healthy.
- He cooks only the egg whites.
Noun
B2
entity
6
Light-colored cue ball in billiards/snooker
The ball you hit first in games like billiards or snooker, which is usually white.
Collocations
strike the white
Themes
sports
Examples
- He potted the red after striking the white.
- Players must hit the white with their cue stick first.
- The referee replaced the white on the table.
Learner examples
- He hits the white ball first.
- The player moves the white ball.
- You must hit the white ball.
Grammar
Dictionary form
white
IPA
GB/wˈaɪt/
US/wˈaɪt/
Syllables & stress
white (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (white)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: white
- Comparative: whiter
- Superlative: whitest
Noun
- Base: white
- Plural: white, whites
Word family
Expressions
wave the white flag
1/wˈeɪv ðə wˈaɪt flˈæɡ/
idiom
Show surrender or give up in conflict/competition
To show that you want to stop fighting or competing because you cannot win.
Examples
- After hours of debate, he finally waved the white flag and agreed to her terms.
- They waved the white flag when they saw they were outnumbered.
white as a sheet
1/wˈaɪt ˈæz ə ʃˈit/
idiom
Extremely pale from shock or fear
Looking very pale because you are afraid, sick, or shocked.
Examples
- He went white as a sheet when he saw the accident.
- She was white as a sheet after hearing the bad news.
white elephant
1/wˈaɪt ˈɛləfənt/
idiom
Useless expensive possession difficult to maintain/sell
Something you own that costs too much to keep but is not useful.
Examples
- That stadium has become a real white elephant for the city.
- The empty stadium built for the tournament has become a white elephant.
- Her uncle’s yacht was a beautiful but costly white elephant.
- That huge printer turned out to be a white elephant we hardly ever use.
- Many people worry that the new airport will become a white elephant.
white lie
1/wˈaɪt lˈaɪ/
idiom
A harmless or small lie to be polite or kind
A small lie you tell so someone will not feel bad or be hurt.
Examples
- She told a white lie about liking the gift.
- I told her a white lie about liking her cooking so she wouldn’t feel bad.
- Sometimes it's kinder to tell a white lie than the truth.
- Sometimes a white lie can save a friendship.
in black and white
1/ˈɪn blˈæk ˈænd wˈaɪt/
idiom
Written down clearly and officially
Written on paper so it is clear and official.
Examples
- The agreement was set out in black and white for both parties to sign.
- The agreement is now in black and white.
- You need to get that promise in black and white.
- I like having things in black and white so there’s no confusion.
in black and white
2/ˈɪn blˈæk ˈænd wˈaɪt/
idiom
Clearly written and official
Written down clearly so it is certain and official.
Examples
- I want the agreement in black and white before I sign it.
- The rules are there in black and white.