whiteface en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From white + face.
Meanings
-
(uncountable) Makeup that makes the face appear white.
Whiteface is sometimes worn by clowns and mimes, or in the Gothic subculture.
- (countable) Any bird of the genus Aphelocephala.
- (countable, uncountable) A Hereford cow.
- (countable) Any dragonfly of the genus Leucorrhinia.
-
(countable, slang) A person of European descent. (See usage notes.)
Craig has gotten himself entree into a dangerous Chinatown card game, where he is playing the role of the malleable whiteface, the unlucky Irishman known as Mickey in order to infiltrate the drug-dealing operations of Asian gang members.
2007 December 10, Janet Maslin, “Cop's Wife Spiraling Out of Control in Chicago”, in New York Times:
- (countable) A traditional clown who ranks above the auguste.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| whitefaces | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
blackface · brownface · transface · yellowface · redface
Synonyms
Translations (4)
fi valkonaama (person of European origin) · nl witsnuitlibel (dragonfly of genus Leucorrhinia) · fi valkonaamamaluri (bird of genus Aphelocephala) · cy wynebwyn (bird of genus Aphelocephala)