Whitewash

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: white=wash

CIDE DICTIONARY

Whitewash, n. 

•  Any wash or liquid composition for whitening something, as a wash for making the skin fair.  Addison.  [1913 Webster]
•  A composition of line and water, or of whiting size, and water, or the like, used for whitening walls, ceilings, etc.; milk of lime.  [1913 Webster]
•  a glossing over or cover up (of crimes or misfeasance).  [PJC]

Whitewash, v. t. 

•  To apply a white liquid composition to; to whiten with whitewash.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make white; to give a fair external appearance to; to clear from imputations or disgrace; hence, to clear (a bankrupt) from obligation to pay debts.  [1913 Webster]
•  In various games, to defeat (an opponent) so that he fails to score, or to reach a certain point in the game; to skunk.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  to gloss over or cover up (crimes or misfeasance).  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Whitewash, n. & v.
--n.
1 a solution of quicklime or of whiting and size for whitening walls etc.
2 a means employed to conceal mistakes or faults in order to clear a person or institution of imputations.
--v.tr.
1 cover with whitewash.
2 attempt by concealment to clear the reputation of.
3 (in passive) (of an insolvent) get a fresh start by passage through a bankruptcy court.
4 US defeat (an opponent) without allowing any opposing score.

Derivative

whitewasher n.

THESAURUS

Whitewash

absolve, acquit, allow for, allowance, amnesty, apply paint, becloud, bedaub, bedizen, befog, begild, belie, besmear, blank, blanket, blind, brush on paint, bulldoze, calcimine, camouflage, chalk, clear, cloak, clobber, clobbering, cloud, coat, color, complexion, conceal, cover, cover up, cream, crushing defeat, curtain, dab, daub, decisive defeat, decontaminate, decontamination, deep-dye, defeat utterly, destigmatize, diminish, dip, discharge, disguise, dismiss, dispense from, dissemble, distemper, distort, distract attention from, double-dye, dress up, dye, ease, eclipse, embellish, emblazon, embroider, enamel, engild, ensconce, enshroud, envelop, exculpate, excuse, exempt, exempt from, exonerate, extenuate, extenuating circumstances, extenuation, extenuative, face, falsify, fast-dye, forgive, free, fresco, fudge, garble, gild, gilding, give absolution, glaze, gloss, gloss over, grain, grant amnesty to, grant immunity, grant remission, hide, hue, ignore, illuminate, imbue, ingrain, japan, justify, keep under cover, lacquer, lay on color, lessen, let go, let off, make allowance for, mask, mince, miscite, miscolor, misquote, misreport, misrepresent, misstate, mitigate, mitigation, no contest, nonpros, obfuscate, obscure, occult, overbear, overstate, overwhelm, overwhelming defeat, paint, palliate, palliation, palliative, pardon, parget, paste, pasting, pervert, pigment, pipe clay, pipe-clay, prime, purge, qualification, quash the charge, release, remit, schmear, screen, set free, shade, shadow, shellac, shellacking, shrive, shroud, shut out, skunk, slant, slop on paint, slur over, smashing defeat, smear, smearing, snow under, soft-pedal, soften, softening, stain, steamroller, stipple, strain, sugarcoat, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, titivate, tone, total defeat, trick out, twist, undercoat, understate, utter defeat, varnish, veil, veneer, vindicate, warp, wash, whelm, white, whiten, whitening, whitewashing, whiting, whomp, whop, whopping, withdraw the charge

ROGET THESAURUS

Whitewash

Cleanness

VB be clean, render clean, clean, cleanse, mundify, rinse, wring, flush, full, wipe, mop, sponge, scour, swab, scrub, brush up, wash, lave, launder, buck, absterge, deterge, decrassify, clear, purify, depurate, despumate, defecate, purge, expurgate, elutriate, lixiviate, edulcorate, clarify, refine, rack, filter, filtrate, drain, strain, disinfect, fumigate, ventilate, deodorize, whitewash, castrate, emasculate, sift, winnow, pick, weed, comb, rake, brush, sweep, rout out, clear out, sweep out, make a clean sweep of.

Acquittal

VB acquit, exculpate, exonerate, clear, absolve, whitewash, assoil, discharge, release, liberate, reprieve, respite, pardon, let off, let off scot- free, drop the charges, plea bargain, strike a deal, no-cause (in civil suits), get no-caused.

Ornament

VB ornament, overlay with ornament, overcharge, smell of the lamp, ornament, embellish, enrich, decorate, adorn, bead, beautify, adonize, smarten, furbish, polish, gild, varnish, whitewash, enamel, japan, lacquer, paint, grain, garnish, trim, dizen, bedizen, prink, prank, trick out, fig out, deck, bedeck, dight, bedight, array, begawd, titivate, dress, dress up, spangle, bespangle, powder, embroider, work, chase, emboss, fret, emblazon, illuminate, illustrate, become.

Covering

N covering, cover, baldachin, baldachino, baldaquin, canopy, tilt, awning, tent, marquee, tente d'abri, umbrella, parasol, sunshade, veil (shade), shield, roof, ceiling, thatch, tile, pantile, pentile, tiling, slates, slating, leads, barrack, plafond, planchment, tiling, shed, top, lid, covercle, door, operculum, bulkhead, bandage, plaster, lint, wrapping, dossil, finger stall, coverlet, counterpane, sheet, quilt, tarpaulin, blanket, rug, drugget, housing, antimacassar, eiderdown, numdah, pillowcase, pillowslip, linoleum, saddle cloth, blanket cloth, tidy, tilpah, apishamore, integument, tegument, skin, pellicle, fleece, fell, fur, leather, shagreen, hide, pelt, peltry, cordwain, derm, robe, buffalo robe, cuticle, scarfskin, epidermis, clothing, mask, peel, crust, bark, rind, cortex, husk, shell, coat, eggshell, glume, capsule, sheath, sheathing, pod, cod, casing, case, theca, elytron, elytrum, involucrum, wrapping, wrapper, envelope, vesicle, corn husk, corn shuck, dermatology, conchology, testaceology, inunction, incrustation, superimposition, superposition, obduction, scale, veneer, facing, overlay, plate, silver plate, gold plate, copper plate, engobe, ormolu, Sheffield plate, pavement, coating, paint, varnish, plating, barrel plating, anointing, enamel, epitaxial deposition, vapor deposition, ground, whitewash, plaster, spackel, stucco, compo, cerement, ointment, covering, superimposed, overlaid, plated, cutaneous, dermal, cortical, cuticular, tegumentary, skinny, scaly, squamous, covered, imbricated, loricated, armor plated, ironclad, under cover, cowled, cucullate, dermatoid, encuirassed, hooded, squamiferous, tectiform, vaginate.

VB cover, superpose, superimpose, overlay, overspread, wrap, encase, incase, face, case, veneer, pave, paper, tip, cap, bind, bulkhead, bulkhead in, clapboard, coat, paint, varnish, pay, incrust, stucco, dab, plaster, tar, wash, besmear, bedaub, anoint, do over, gild, plate, japan, lacquer, lacker, enamel, whitewash, parget, lay it on thick, overlie, overarch, endome, conceal, anodize, galvanize.

Vindication

N vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.

Whiteness

VB be white, render white, whiten, bleach, blanch, etiolate, whitewash, silver.