blue-white

IPA/blˈuːwˈaɪt/
IPA/blˈuːwˈaɪt/

blue-white — adjective

1. white in color, but with a slight blue tone in it.

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

white in color, but with a slight blue tone in it.

Example

A blue-white moon hung above the empty winter field.

blue-white + noun

The fish flashed a blue-white belly near the side of the boat.

blue-white + body part

Common collocations
  • blue-white light
  • blue-white flame
  • blue-white glow
  • blue-white skin
  • blue-white flower
Synonyms
  • bluish-white

    the closest straightforward alternative, often a little more technical or descriptive

  • icy

    can suggest a similar cold look, but it also adds a feeling of chill or harshness

  • pale

    broader and weaker; something pale may be light in color without any blue tone

  • milky

    suggests cloudy or creamy white rather than a cool blue cast

Grammar Patterns

blue-white + light

blue-white + flame

be/look/seem + blue-white

Usage Note

Usually used for light, flames, skin, flowers, or other pale things, and most often comes before the noun. After verbs such as 'look', 'turn', and 'seem', it often describes a color changed by cold light or illness.

Common Mistakes

The flag is blue-white.
The flag is blue and white.' or 'The flag is blue-and-white.
use 'blue-white' only when the color is mainly white with a blue tint, not when two clear colors appear separately.
Her hands looked blue-white from the paint.
Her hands looked blue-white in the cold light.' or 'Her hands looked blue from the paint.
'blue-white' describes a pale white color with blue in it, not an ordinary blue stain.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Bluish-white is the nearest match and is often the most neutral choice in careful description, especially for light, fire, metal, or skin. Icy can overlap in color, but it usually adds a stronger feeling of coldness, hardness, or emotional distance. Pale is much broader and weaker: a pale face or flower may be light in color without showing any blue tone at all. Milky suggests soft, cloudy white, often with a creamy look rather than a cool blue cast. Use blue-white when white is still the main color, but a clear blue shade is visible. A blue-white flame sounds sharp and cold-looking; a milky flame would create a softer image.

bluish-whiteicy ↗pale ↗milky ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • turn blue-white
  • glow blue-white

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Blue-white is an English compound formed from blue and white. English often joins basic color words in this way to describe a mixed shade, and the order shows that white is the main color while blue is the extra tint. Both parts come from very old English color words that go back to Old English.