Whitebeard White"beard` noun An old man; a graybeard.

Whitebelly White"bel`ly noun (Zoology) (a) The American widgeon, or baldpate. (b) The prairie chicken.

Whitebill White"bill` noun (Zoology) The American coot.

Whiteblow White"blow` noun (Botany) Same as Whitlow grass , under Whitlow .

Whiteboy White"boy` noun 1. A favorite. [ Obsolete] See White , adjective , 6. "One of God's whiteboys ." Bunyan.

2. One of an association of poor Roman catholics which arose in Ireland about 1760, ostensibly to resist the collection of tithes, the members of which were so called from the white shirts they wore in their nocturnal raids.

Whiteboyism White"boy`ism noun The conduct or principle of the Whiteboys.

Whitecap White"cap` noun 1. (Zoology) (a) The European redstart; -- so called from its white forehead. (b) The whitethroat; -- so called from its gray head. (c) The European tree sparrow.

2. A wave whose crest breaks into white foam, as when the wind is freshening.

Whitecap White"cap` noun A member of a self-appointed vigilance committee attempting by lynch-law methods to drive away or coerce persons obnoxious to it. Some early ones wore white hoods or masks. [ U. S.] -- White"cap` , v. -- White"cap`per noun

Whitecoat White"coat` noun The skin of a newborn seal; also, the seal itself. [ Sealers' Cant]

Whitefish White"fish` noun (Zoology) (a) Any one of several species of Coregonus , a genus of excellent food fishes allied to the salmons. They inhabit the lakes of the colder parts of North America, Asia, and Europe. The largest and most important American species ( C. clupeiformis ) is abundant in the Great Lakes, and in other lakes farther north. Called also lake whitefish , and Oswego bass . (b) The menhaden. (c) The beluga, or white whale.

» Various other fishes are locally called whitefish , as the silver salmon, the whiting (a) , the yellowtail, and the young of the bluefish ( Pomatomus saltatrix ).

Whiteflaw White"flaw` noun [ See Whitlow .] (Medicine) A whitlow. [ Obsolete] Holland.

Whitehead White"head` noun (Zoology) (a) The blue-winged snow goose. (b) The surf scoter.

Whitehead torpedo White"head` tor·pe"do or White"head` noun A form of self- propelling torpedo.

Whitely White"ly adjective Like, or coming near to, white. [ Obsolete]

Whiten Whit"en intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Whitened ; present participle & verbal noun Whitening .] [ Middle English whitenen ; confer Icelandic hvītna .] To grow white; to turn or become white or whiter; as, the hair whitens with age; the sea whitens with foam; the trees in spring whiten with blossoms.

Whiten Whit"en transitive verb To make white; to bleach; to blanch; to whitewash; as, to whiten a wall; to whiten cloth.

The broad stream of the Foyle then whitened by vast flocks of wild swans.

Macaulay.

Syn. -- See Blanch .

Whitener Whit"en·er noun One who, or that which, whitens; a bleacher; a blancher; a whitewasher.

Whiteness White"ness noun [ Anglo-Saxon hwītness .]

1. The quality or state of being white; white color, or freedom from darkness or obscurity on the surface. Chaucer.

2. Want of a sanguineous tinge; paleness; as from terror, grief, etc. "The whiteness in thy cheek." Shak.

3. Freedom from stain or blemish; purity; cleanness.

He had kept
The whiteness of his soul, and thus men o'er him wept.

Byron.

4. Nakedness. [ Obsolete] Chapman.

5. (Zoology) A flock of swans.

Whitening Whit"en·ing noun

1. The act or process of making or becoming white.

2. That which is used to render white; whiting. [ R.]

Whitening stone , a sharpening and polishing stone used by cutlers; also, a finishing grindstone of fine texture.

Whiterump White"rump` noun (Zoology) The American black-tailed godwit.

Whites Whites noun plural

1. (Medicine) Leucorrh...a.

2. The finest flour made from white wheat.

3. Cloth or garments of a plain white color.

Whiteside White"side` noun (Zoology) The golden-eye.

Whitesmith White"smith` noun

1. One who works in tinned or galvanized iron, or white iron; a tinsmith.

2. A worker in iron who finishes or polishes the work, in distinction from one who forges it.

Whitester White"ster noun [ White + - ster .] A bleacher of linen; a whitener; a whitster. [ Prov. Eng.]

Whitetail White"tail` noun 1. (Zoology) The Virginia deer.

2. (Zoology) The wheatear. [ Prov. Eng.]

Whitethorn White"thorn` noun (Botany) The hawthorn.

Whitethroat White"throat` noun (Zoology) Any one of several species of Old World warblers, esp. the common European species ( Sylvia cinerea ), called also strawsmear , nettlebird , muff , and whitecap , the garden whitethroat, or golden warbler ( S. hortensis ), and the lesser whitethroat ( S. curruca ).

Whitetop White"top` noun (Botany) Fiorin.

Whitewall White"wall` noun (Zoology) The spotted flycatcher; -- so called from the white color of the under parts. [ Prov. Eng.]

Whitewash White"wash` noun

1. Any wash or liquid composition for whitening something, as a wash for making the skin fair. Addison.

2. A composition of line and water, or of whiting size, and water, or the like, used for whitening walls, ceilings, etc.; milk of lime.

Whitewash White"wash` transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Whitewashed ; present participle & verbal noun Whitewashing .]

1. To apply a white liquid composition to; to whiten with whitewash.

2. To make white; to give a fair external appearance to; to clear from imputations or disgrace; hence, to clear (a bankrupt) from obligation to pay debts.

Whitewash White"wash` transitive verb In various games, to defeat (an opponent) so that he fails to score, or to reach a certain point in the game; to skunk. [ Colloq., U. S.]

Whitewasher White"wash`er noun One who whitewashes.

Whiteweed White"weed` noun (Botany) A perennial composite herb ( Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum ) with conspicuous white rays and a yellow disk, a common weed in grass lands and pastures; -- called also oxeye daisy .

Whitewing White"wing` noun (Zoology) (a) The chaffinch; -- so called from the white bands on the wing. (b) The velvet duck.

Whitewood White"wood` noun The soft and easily- worked wood of the tulip tree ( Liriodendron ). It is much used in cabinetwork, carriage building, etc.

» Several other kinds of light-colored wood are called whitewood in various countries, as the wood of Bignonia leucoxylon in the West Indies, of Pittosporum bicolor in Tasmania, etc.

Whitewood bark . See the Note under Canella .

Whitewort White"wort` noun (Botany) (a) Wild camomile. (b) A kind of Solomon's seal ( Polygonum officinale ).

Whitflaw Whit"flaw` noun [ See Whitlow .] Whitlow. [ Obsolete] "The nails fallen off by whitflaws ." Herrick.

Whither Whith"er adverb [ Middle English whider . Anglo-Saxon hwider ; akin to English where , who ; confer Goth. hvadrē whither. See Who , and confer Hither , Thither .]

1. To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest thou? " Whider may I flee?" Chaucer.

Sir Valentine, whither away so fast?

Shak.

2. To what or which place; -- used relatively.

That no man should know . . . whither that he went.

Chaucer.

We came unto the land whither thou sentest us.

Num. xiii. 27.

3. To what point, degree, end, conclusion, or design; whereunto; whereto; -- used in a sense not physical.

Nor have I . . . whither to appeal.

Milton.

Any whither , to any place; anywhere. [ Obsolete] " Any whither , in hope of life eternal." Jer. Taylor. -- No whither , to no place; nowhere. [ Obsolete] 2 Kings v. 25.

Syn. -- Where. -- Whither , Where . Whither properly implies motion to place, and where rest in a place. Whither is now, however, to a great extent, obsolete, except in poetry, or in compositions of a grave and serious character and in language where precision is required. Where has taken its place, as in the question, " Where are you going?"

Whithersoever Whith`er·so·ev"er adverb [ Whither + soever .] To whatever place; to what place soever; wheresoever; as, I will go whithersoever you lead.

Whitherward Whith"er·ward adverb In what direction; toward what or which place. R. of Brunne.

Whitherward to turn for a good course of life was by no means too apparent.

Carlyle.

Whitile Whit"ile noun [ Perhaps properly, the cutter (see Whittle , v. ), or confer whitewall , witwal .] (Zoology) The yaffle. [ Prov. Eng.]

Whiting Whit"ing noun [ From White .]

1. (Zoology) (a) A common European food fish ( Melangus vulgaris ) of the Codfish family; -- called also fittin . (b) A North American fish ( Merlucius vulgaris ) allied to the preceding; -- called also silver hake . (c) Any one of several species of North American marine scićnoid food fishes belonging to genus Menticirrhus , especially M. Americanus , found from Maryland to Brazil, and M. littoralis , common from Virginia to Texas; -- called also silver whiting , and surf whiting .

» Various other fishes are locally called whiting , as the kingfish (a) , the sailor's choice (b) , the Pacific tomcod, and certain species of lake whitefishes.

2. Chalk prepared in an impalpable powder by pulverizing and repeated washing, used as a pigment, as an ingredient in putty, for cleaning silver, etc.

Whiting pollack . (Zoology) Same as Pollack . -- Whiting pout (Zoology) , the bib, 2.

Whiting-mop Whit"ing-mop` noun [ Obsolete]

1. (Zoology) A young whiting. [ Prov. Eng.]

2. A fair lass. "This pretty whiting- mop ." Massinger.

Whitish Whit"ish adjective [ From White .]

1. Somewhat white; approaching white; white in a moderate degree.

2. (Botany) Covered with an opaque white powder.

Whitishness Whit"ish·ness noun The quality or state of being whitish or somewhat white.

Whitleather Whit"leath`er noun [ White + leather .]

1. Leather dressed or tawed with alum, salt, etc., remarkable for its pliability and toughness; white leather.

2. (Anat.) The paxwax. See Paxwax .

Whitling Whit"ling noun [ White + - ling .] (Zoology) A young full trout during its second season. [ Prov. Eng.]

Whitlow Whit"low noun [ Prov. English whickflaw , for quickflaw , i. e., a flaw or sore at the quick; confer Icelandic kvika the quick under the nail or under a horse's hoof. See Quick , adjective , and Flaw .]

1. (Medicine) An inflammation of the fingers or toes, generally of the last phalanx, terminating usually in suppuration. The inflammation may occupy any seat between the skin and the bone, but is usually applied to a felon or inflammation of the periosteal structures of the bone.

2. (Far.) An inflammatory disease of the feet. It occurs round the hoof, where an acrid matter is collected.

Whitlow grass (Botany) , name given to several inconspicuous herbs, which were thought to be a cure for the whitlow, as Saxifraga tridactylites , Draba verna , and several species of Paronychia .

Whitlow-wort Whit"low-wort` noun (Botany) Same as Whitlow grass , under Whitlow .

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter W > Page 34 of 56.
« Previous ¦26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 ¦ Next »