whites
[wˈaɪts] /ˈ(h)wīt How to pronounce white (audio)/ (ame, mw)
whites — noun
1. white clothes or other pale washable items kept together for work, sport, or a s
white clothes or other pale washable items kept together for work, sport, or a separate wash load
Felipe tossed his cricket whites into a canvas bag after the match.
sports whites — clothing worn for a game
The nurse folded the clean whites before the next shift began.
work clothes grouped as the whites
Kenji keeps the whites in a separate basket beside the washing machine.
Heavy rain soaked the tennis whites hanging outside the clubhouse window.
- white clothes
plain descriptive phrase with no special laundry sense
- laundry
much broader; includes clothes of any colour
- uniforms
stresses matching work or sports clothes, whether white or not
- darks
the darker clothes that are washed separately
文法句型
the whites
wash + the whites separately
sports/medical + whites
用法筆記
This sense usually appears as 'the whites' when people sort laundry or talk about white uniforms. It often contrasts with 'the darks' when clothes are washed in separate loads.
常見錯誤
2. the pale outer parts of the eyes around the coloured centres
the pale outer parts of the eyes around the coloured centres
Shanti could see the whites of the horse's eyes in the storm.
the whites of someone's eyes
Ryan's eyes opened so wide that only the whites showed.
only the whites showed
The flashlight caught the whites of Selim's eyes under the bed.
Fear made the whites around Christopher's eyes look brighter than usual.
- sclerae
medical term; far more technical than everyday 'whites'
- eye whites
plain descriptive phrase for the same body part
文法句型
the whites of + someone's eyes
show the whites of the eyes
用法筆記
This sense is most common in the phrase 'the whites of someone's eyes', especially when a person or animal looks frightened, angry, or shocked.
3. the clear parts of eggs that turn white when they are cooked or beaten
the clear parts of eggs that turn white when they are cooked or beaten
Noa whisked the whites until soft peaks formed in the metal bowl.
whisk the whites
Jude separated the whites from six eggs for the birthday cake.
separate the whites from eggs
The chef brushed leftover whites across the pastry with a small spoon.
Minho chilled the whites first so the meringues would hold their shape.
- egg whites
full phrase used when the cooking context is not already clear
- albumen
scientific or technical word rather than an everyday kitchen term
- yolks
the yellow inner parts of eggs
文法句型
separate the whites
beat/whisk the whites
用法筆記
In everyday cooking, people often say 'egg whites' unless the kitchen context already makes the meaning obvious. This sense commonly follows verbs such as 'separate', 'beat', and 'whisk'.
常見錯誤
4. people who are socially described as having light skin and European family origi
people who are socially described as having light skin and European family origins
In the old census, whites and Blacks were counted in separate columns.
whites and Blacks — group label in records
The article examined how poor whites were portrayed in early factory towns.
poor whites — fixed social label
Some clubs admitted only whites until the law forced them to change.
The museum panel compared how whites and immigrants were described in wartime newspapers.
- white people
clearer and more neutral in ordinary modern writing
- Caucasians
formal and dated in many everyday contexts
文法句型
whites and Blacks
only whites
poor/rural + whites
用法筆記
This label appears most often in historical, political, and sociological writing. In everyday neutral description, many speakers prefer 'white people', which sounds less detached than using the plural noun alone.
5. the light-coloured side in a two-player board game, including the player using t
the light-coloured side in a two-player board game, including the player using those pieces
Lakan chose the whites so he could make the first move.
have the whites / move first
The coach told Élise to attack more boldly when she had the whites.
have the whites in chess analysis
In the final round, the whites pressed hard on the king's side.
The commentator said the whites had a safer endgame after move thirty.
- white pieces
focuses on the pieces themselves rather than the player
- White
capitalized single-word label used in game records and diagrams
- the blacks
the darker side or player in the same game
文法句型
play the whites
the whites move first
have the whites
用法筆記
In chess and similar games, 'the whites' can mean either the white pieces or the player controlling them. It is common in commentary and takes a plural verb.