Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

White|hall ◆◇◇ / ^h wa I thɔːl/ N‑PROPER Whitehall is the name of a street in London in which there are many government offices. You can also use Whitehall to mean the British Government itself. □  …people with banners marching down Whitehall. □  Whitehall said that it hoped to get the change through by the end of June.

whi te-ho t ADJ If something is white-hot , it is extremely hot. □  It is important to get the coals white-hot before you start.

Whi te House ◆◇◇ N‑PROPER [N n] The White House is the official home in Washington DC of the President of the United States. You can also use the White House to refer to the President of the United States and his or her officials. □  He drove to the White House. □  The White House has not participated in any talks.

whi te kni ght (white knights ) N‑COUNT A white knight is a person or an organization that rescues a company from difficulties such as financial problems or an unwelcome takeover bid. [BUSINESS ] □  …a white-knight bid.

whi te-knu ckle

1 ADJ [ADJ n] In a fairground, a white-knuckle ride is any large machine that people ride on which is very exciting but also frightening. □  …white-knuckle rides such as the rollercoaster.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] A white-knuckle experience is something that you find very exciting but also very frightening. □  …a hellish white-knuckle ride through the heavy London traffic.

whi te lie (white lies ) N‑COUNT If you refer to an untrue statement as a white lie , you mean that it is made to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to avoid trouble, and not for an evil purpose.

whi te mea t (white meats ) N‑UNCOUNT White meat is meat such as chicken and pork, which is pale in colour after it has been cooked.

whit|en / ^h wa I t ^ə n/ (whitens , whitening , whitened ) VERB When something whitens or when you whiten it, it becomes whiter or paler in colour. □ [V ] Her knuckles whiten as she clenches her hands harder. □ [V n] …toothpastes that whiten teeth.

whi te noi se N‑UNCOUNT White noise is sound, especially of a continuous kind, that seems to have no pattern or rhythm. □  The hiss of an empty radio channel will give white noise.

Whi te Pa ges N‑PLURAL White Pages is used to refer to the section of a telephone directory which lists names and telephone numbers in alphabetical order. Compare Yellow Pages . [AM ]

Whi te Pa |per (White Papers ) N‑COUNT In Britain, Australia, Canada, and some other countries, a White Paper is an official report which describes the policy of the Government on a particular subject.

whi te pe p|per N‑UNCOUNT White pepper is pepper which has been made from the dried insides of the fruits of the pepper plant.

whi te sau ce (white sauces ) N‑VAR White sauce is a thick white sauce made from milk, flour, and butter. Meat, fish, or vegetables are often cooked in or served in white sauce.

whi te spi r|it N‑UNCOUNT White spirit is a colourless liquid that is made from petrol and is used, for example, to make paint thinner or to clean surfaces. [BRIT ] in AM, use turpentine

whi te trash N‑UNCOUNT [with sing or pl verb] Some people use white trash to refer to poor white people who they think are worthless. [AM , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ] □  …a place peopled by illiterate poor white trash.

white|wash / ^h wa I twɒʃ/ (whitewashes , whitewashing , whitewashed )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Whitewash is a mixture of lime or chalk and water that is used for painting walls white.

2 VERB If a wall or building has been whitewashed , it has been painted white with whitewash. □ [be V -ed] The walls had been whitewashed. □ [V -ed] …a town of picturesque whitewashed cottages.