Also (with shortened root-vowel) 5 whitt-, whytnesse, 5–6 whitnesse. [OE. hwítnes: see WHITE a. and -NESS.] The quality or condition of being white; white color or appearance.

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971.  Blickl. Hom., 7. Seo readnes þære rosan lixeþ on þe, & seo hwitnes þære lilian scineþ on þe.

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c. 1400.  Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. iv. 60. The fayre blosme … whos whytenes passyd the snowe.

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a. 1425.  trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 47. Þe wondes haþ hardnes wiþ whitenes and redenes.

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1483.  Cath. Angl., 416/2. Whittnesse, albedo.

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1577.  Googe, trans. Heresbach’s Husb., 39. The webbe is layde out in the hotte Sunne,… whereby it is brought to a passing whitenesse.

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1592.  Greene, Greene’s Vis., Wks. (Grosart), XII. 209. The whitenesse of their haires bewrayed the number of their dayes.

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1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage, VIII. iii. 623. The brightnesse of the Starres and whitenesse of the snow, not suffering them to be quite forlorne in darkenesse.

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a. 1650.  Norgate, Miniatura (1919), 98. Temper them with white lead to what whytnes you please.

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1756.  C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, II. 52. Salts of different degrees of purity and whiteness.

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1827.  Faraday, Chem. Manip., xxiv. (1842), 648. Heat a little chloride of silver … to whiteness.

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1887.  F. M. Crawford, Saracinesca, iii. His very dark eyes and complexion made more noticeable by the dazzling whiteness of his hair.

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  b.  of the human skin or face: † (a) Lightness or fairness of complexion, (b) Paleness, pallor.

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1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XV. lxvi. (Bodl. MS.). Gallia. haþ þat name … of whitenes of men for Gallia is grewe and is to menynge mylke.

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1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., IV. viii. 119. Their beautie, whitenesse,… and shamefast grace.

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1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., I. i. 68. The whitenesse in thy Cheeke Is apter then thy Tongue, to tell thy Errand.

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1794.  S. Williams, Vermont, 389. The white men … lose their whiteness and become brown or red.

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1821.  Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Old Benchers. His cheeks were colourless, even to whiteness.

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1857.  G. A. Lawrence, Guy Livingstone, vii. It was no blush now, but a dead waxen whiteness, that came over the beautiful face.

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  c.  quasi-concr. A white substance or part of something.

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1560.  Bible (Geneva), Tobit ii. 10. A whitenes came in mine eies, & I went to the phisicians who helped me not.

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1592.  Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 1170. A purple floure … checkred with white, Resembling well his pale cheekes, and the blood, Which … vpon their whitenesse stood.

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1650.  Jer. Taylor, Holy Living, iv. § 10. 360. Those Creatures that live amongst the snowes … turne white with their … conversation with such perpetual whitenesses.

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1651.  French, Distill., i. 34. These Rinds must be fresh, and (the inward whiteness being separated) be bruised.

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1885.  ‘F. Anstey,’ Tinted Venus, v. [To a barber] Do you not swathe them in the garb of humiliation, and daub their countenances with whiteness?

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1905.  R. Bagot, Passport, ix. 79. The water-lilies lifted their pure whiteness to the … sunbeams.

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  d.  fig. Purity, stainless character or quality.

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1555.  Bradford, in Coverdale, Lett. Martyrs (1564), 285. Sope, though it be blacke, soileth not the clothe,… so doth the blacke crosse helpe vs to more whitenes.

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1645.  Milton, Tetrach., Wks. 1851, IV. 181. To vindicat the whitenes and the innocence of this divine Law, from the calumny it findes.

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1663.  Cowley, Verses & Ess., Horace, III. i. 3. To Virgin Minds, which yet their Native whiteness hold,… these truths I tell.

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1816.  Byron, Ch. Har., III. lvii. He had kept The whiteness of his soul.

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1884.  Harrop, Bolingbroke, i. 44. Such … was the whiteness of his record in this respect.

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