whitewash

English

/ˈwaɪtwɒʃ/

noun
Definitions
  • A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.
  • (sports) A complete victory or series of victories without suffering any losses; a clean sweep.
  • (obsolete) Any liquid composition for whitening something, such as a wash for making the skin fair.
  • (politics) A campaign to paper over unfavorable elements.

Etymology

Compound from English white (a white-skinned person, bright and colorless) + English wash.

Origin

English

wash

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms