Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

3 VERB If you say that people whitewash something, you are accusing them of hiding the unpleasant facts or truth about it in order to make it acceptable. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] The administration is whitewashing the regime's actions.

4 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Whitewash is an attempt to hide the unpleasant facts or truth about someone or something. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  He pledged that there would be no whitewash and a full investigation.

whi te-wa ter ra ft|ing N‑UNCOUNT White-water rafting is the activity of riding on a raft over rough, dangerous parts of a fast-flowing river.

whi te we d|ding (white weddings ) N‑COUNT A white wedding is a wedding where the bride wears white and the ceremony takes place in a church. [mainly BRIT ]

whith|er / ^h w I ðə ^r / ADV Whither means to where. [LITERARY or OLD-FASHIONED ] □  They knew not whither they went.

whit|ing / ^h wa I t I ŋ/ (whitings or whiting ) N‑VAR A whiting is a black and silver fish that lives in the sea. ● N‑UNCOUNT Whiting is this fish eaten as food. □  He ordered stuffed whiting.

whit|ish / ^h wa I t I ʃ/ COLOUR Whitish means very pale and almost white in colour. □  …a whitish dust.

Whit|sun / ^h w I ts ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Whitsun is the seventh Sunday after Easter, and the week that follows that Sunday. [mainly BRIT ]

Whi t Su n|day N‑UNCOUNT Whit Sunday is the seventh Sunday after Easter, when Christians celebrate the sending of the Holy Spirit to the first followers of Christ.

whit|tle / ^h w I t ^ə l/ (whittles , whittling , whittled ) VERB If you whittle something from a piece of wood, you carve it by cutting pieces off the wood with a knife. □ [V n] He whittled a new handle for his ax.

▸  whittle away PHRASAL VERB To whittle away something or whittle away at it means to gradually make it smaller, weaker, or less effective. □ [V P n] They have slowly whittled away the opposition. □ [V P + at ] Their approach is to whittle away at the evidence to show reasonable doubt.

▸  whittle down PHRASAL VERB To whittle down a group or thing means to gradually make it smaller. □ [V n P + to ] He had whittled eight interviewees down to two. □ [V P n] The president has agreed to whittle down his proposal. [Also V n P , V n P + from ]

whizz / ^h w I z/ (whizzes , whizzing , whizzed ) VERB If something whizzes somewhere, it moves there very fast. [INFORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] Stewart felt a bottle whizz past his head. □ [V prep/adv] A car whizzed past.

whi zz-kid (whizz-kids ) also whizzkid , whizz kid N‑COUNT If you refer to a young person as a whizz-kid , you mean that they have achieved success at a young age because they are very clever and very good at something, especially making money. [INFORMAL ] □  …a financial whizz kid. □  …a whizz-kid physics student.

whizzy / ^h w I zi/ (whizzier , whizziest ) ADJ Whizzy is used to describe products and activities that are new, exciting, and based on the latest technology. [INFORMAL ] □  Japanese camera makers continually introduce whizzy new electronic models.

who ◆◆◆ /huː / Who is used as the subject or object of a verb. See entries at whom and whose . 1 PRON You use who in questions when you ask about the name or identity of a person or group of people. □  Who's there? □  Who is the least popular man around here? □  Who do you work for? □  Who do you suppose will replace her on the show? □  'You reminded me of somebody.'—'Who?'