WHITEWASH

whitewash

(noun) a specious or deceptive clearing that attempts to gloss over failings and defects

whitewash

(noun) wash consisting of lime and size in water; used for whitening walls and other surfaces

whitewash

(noun) a defeat in which the losing person or team fails to score

whitewash

(verb) exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data

whitewash

(verb) cover with whitewash; “whitewash walls”

whitewash, gloss over, sleek over, hush up

(verb) cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error; “Let’s not whitewash the crimes of Stalin”; “She tried to gloss over her mistakes”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

whitewash (countable and uncountable, plural whitewashes)

A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.

(sports) A complete victory or series of victories without suffering any losses; a clean sweep.

(obsolete) Any liquid composition for whitening something, such as a wash for making the skin fair.

(politics) A campaign to paper over unfavorable elements.

Antonym: blackwash

Verb

whitewash (third-person singular simple present whitewashes, present participle whitewashing, simple past and past participle whitewashed)

To paint over with a lime and water mixture so as to brighten up a wall or fence.

(figurative) To cover over errors or bad actions.

Antonym: blackwash

(dated, transitive) To repay the financial debts of (another person).

(baseball, slang, dated, late, 19th century, archaic) To prevent a team from scoring any runs.

(US, UK, slang) In various games, to defeat (an opponent) so that they fail to score, or to reach a certain point in the game; to skunk.

(pejorative) To make over (a person or character, a group, an event, etc) so that it is or seems more white, for example by applying makeup to a person, or by covering over the participation of people of color in an event and focusing on only white participation.

Source: Wiktionary


White"wash` (, n.

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.

White"wash`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whitewashed; p. pr. & vb. n. 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

17 May 2025

ANTHOZOAN

(noun) sessile marine coelenterates including solitary and colonial polyps; the medusoid phase is entirely suppressed


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Coffee has initially been a food – chewed, not sipped. Early African tribes consume coffee by grinding the berries together, adding some animal fat, and rolling the treats into tiny edible energy balls.

coffee icon