6. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of butterflies belonging to
Pieris, and allied genera in which the color is usually white. See
Cabbage butterfly, under Cabbage.
Black and white. See under Black. — Flake white, Paris white, etc. See
under Flack, Paris, etc. — White of a seed (Bot.), the albumen. See
Albumen, 2. — White of egg, the viscous pellucid fluid which surrounds
the yolk in an egg, particularly in the egg of a fowl. In a hen's egg
it is alkaline, and contains about 86 per cent of water and 14 per cent
of solid matter, the greater portion of which is egg albumin. It
likewise contains a small amount of globulin, and traces of fats and
sugar, with some inorganic matter. Heated above 60° C. it coagulates to
a solid mass, owing to the albumin which it contains. Parr. — White of
the eye (Anat.), the white part of the ball of the eye surrounding the
transparent cornea.
White, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whited; p. pr. & vb. n. Whiting.] [AS.
hwtan.] To make white; to whiten; to whitewash; to bleach.
Whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of . . . uncleanness.
Matt. xxiii. 27.
So as no fuller on earth can white them.
Mark. ix. 3.
White"back` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The canvasback.
White"bait` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The young of several species of
herrings, especially of the common herring, esteemed a great delicacy
by epicures in England. (b) A small translucent fish (Salanx Chinensis)
abundant at certain seasons on the coasts of China and Japan, and used
in the same manner as the European whitebait.
White"beam` (?), n. (Bot.) The common beam tree of England (Pyrus
Aria); — so called from the white, woolly under surface of the leaves.
White"beard` (?), n. An old man; a graybeard.
White"bel`ly (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The American widgeon, or baldpate. (b)
The prairie chicken.
White"bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The American coot.
White"-blaze` (?), n. See White- face.
White"blow` (?), n. (Bot.) Same as Whitlow grass, under Whitlow.
White"boy` (?), n. 1. A favorite. [Obs.] See White, a., 6. "One of
God's whiteboys." Bunyan.
2. One of an association of poor Roman catholics which arose in Ireland
about 1760, ostensibly to resist the collection of tithes, the members
of which were so called from the white shirts they wore in their
nocturnal raids.
White"boy`ism (?), n. The conduct or principle of the Whiteboys.
White"cap` (?), n. 1. (Zoöl.) (a) The European redstart; — so called
from its white forehead. (b) The whitethroat; — so called from its gray
head. (c) The European tree sparrow.
2. A wave whose crest breaks into white foam, as when the wind is
freshening.
White"coat` (?), n. The skin of a newborn seal; also, the seal itself.
[Sealers' Cant]
White"-ear` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The wheatear.
White"-eye` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small Old
World singing of the genus Zosterops, as Zosterops palpebrosus of
India, and Z. cœrulescens of Australia. The eyes are encircled by a
ring of white feathers, whence the name. Called also bush creeper, and
white-eyed tit.
White"-face` (?), n. A white mark in the forehead of a horse,
descending almost to the nose; — called also white-blaze.
White"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of
Coregonus, a genus of excellent food fishes allied to the salmons. They
inhabit the lakes of the colder parts of North America, Asia, and
Europe. The largest and most important American species (C.
clupeiformis) is abundant in the Great Lakes, and in other lakes
farther north. Called also lake whitefish, and Oswego bass. (b) The
menhaden. (c) The beluga, or white whale.
Various other fishes are locally called whitefish, as the silver
salmon, the whiting (a), the yellowtail, and the young of the bluefish
(Pomatomus saltatrix).
White"flaw` (?), n. [See Whitlow.] (Med.) A whitlow. [Obs.] Holland.
White"-foot` (?), n. (Far.) A white mark on the foot of a horse,
between the fetlock and the coffin.
White" fri`ar (?). (Eccl.) A mendicant monk of the Carmelite order, so
called from the white cloaks worn by the order. See Carmelite.
White`-front"ed (?), a. Having a white front; as, the white-fronted
lemur.
White-fronted goose (Zoöl.), the white brant, or snow goose. See Snow
goose, under Snow.
White"head` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The blue-winged snow goose. (b) The
surf scoter.
White"-heart` (?), n. (Bot.) A somewhat heart-shaped cherry with a
whitish skin.
White"-hot` (?), a. White with heat; heated to whiteness, or
incandescence.
White"-limed` (?), a. Whitewashed or plastered with lime. "White-limed
walls." Shak.
White"-liv`ered (?), a. Having a pale look; feeble; hence, cowardly;
pusillanimous; dastardly.
They must not be milksops, nor white-livered knights.
Latimer.