white

The word “white” means reflecting all wavelengths of visible light equally; having the colour of snow or milk. In plain terms, the colour of snow, milk, or a blank page — reflecting light rather than absorbing it.

“White” is pronounced WYT (/ˈwaɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “white” used in a sentence: “She painted the fence white to match the house.”

Depending on how it is used, “white” can be an adjective, a noun and a verb.

The word “white” comes from Old English. From Old English hwīt, going all the way back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "bright, shining" — the same root that gives related words for light and gleaming across many European languages.

“White” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“White” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: reflecting all wavelengths of visible light equally; having the colour of snow or milk.

White and black are visual opposites. White reflects all wavelengths of visible light more or less equally, which is why it looks bright, like snow or milk. Black does the reverse, absorbing nearly all light and reflecting almost none, which is why it appears so dark.

It depends on how you look at it. In terms of light, white is all the colours of the spectrum combined, since it reflects every wavelength at once. In terms of paint or pigment, some call white a colour and others call it the absence of colour. Both views are common.

The opposite of white is black. White reflects nearly all visible light while black absorbs it, so the two sit at opposite ends of the light-and-dark scale. This strong contrast is why black text on a white page is so easy to read.

Everyday white objects include snow, milk, chalk, fresh paper, and clouds. These are the classic reference points people reach for when describing the colour, which is why definitions of 'white' so often mention the colour of snow or milk as the clearest examples.