whitewash🔊

A mixture of a powdered mineral substance and water which is used for painting surfaces such as fences and walls bright white.

A thing used to hide mistakes, or to create an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc.; also (often politics), an act of hiding mistakes or creating an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc.; especially, a campaign, investigation, etc., which intentionally hides or overlooks unfavorable facts.

(business) An act of clearing a person's debts, especially through a declaration of bankruptcy by a court.

(sports, originally baseball) A complete victory or series of victories without suffering any losses; a clean sweep; also, a victory or series of victories by a very large margin.

(cooking) The most basic type of thickening agent, consisting of flour blended with water to make a paste.

(cosmetics, historical) A preparation for making the skin look lighter.

(obsolete, pharmacology) Any of several medicinal preparations for treating skin diseases consisting of a mixture of a metallic compound (such as one of lead, sulfur, or zinc) and water.

(obsolete, wine, slang) White wine, especially Madeira or sherry, drunk after dinner or after taking claret and port; a glass of such wine.

To paint (a building, a wall, etc.) a bright white with a mixture of a powdered mineral substance and water.

(derogatory) To distort or give a misleading account of (history, a narrative, etc.) by discounting the participation of people of color and focusing on white people.

(chiefly film, television) To cast a white actor in a role for a person of color in (a film, television program, etc.).

(media) To make over (someone of color) so that they appear more white, for example, by applying lightening makeup to their skin or digitally manipulating an image of them.

(chiefly literary and poetic) To cover or coat (something) with a white substance, as if with whitewash; also, to light up (something) with white light.

(business) To clear (someone's) debts, especially through a declaration of bankruptcy by a court; also, to clear or write off (a debt).

(often politics) To hide (someone's) mistakes, or to create an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc., for (someone); also, to intentionally hide or overlook (mistakes, unfavourable facts, wrongdoing, etc.).

(sports, originally baseball, informal) To achieve a complete victory or series of victories over (an opponent) without suffering any losses; also, to achieve a victory or series of victories over (an opponent) by a very large margin. +

(cosmetics, archaic or historical) To make (the face, etc.) look lighter with makeup or a similar preparation.

(obsolete) To treat (fabric) with a substance which lightens or whitens. +

To paint bright white with whitewash.

(figurative, business) To have debts cleared through a declaration of bankruptcy by a court.

(masonry, archaic) Of bricks: to become encrusted with a white layer of soluble salts due to efflorescence.