Obs. [OE. wlite m., beauty, splendor, appearance, form, corresp. to OFris. wlite, OS. wlili sheen, form, ON. litr color, countenance (see LIT sb.), Goth. wlits πρόσωπον, ὄψις, μορφή; also in the compound OE. andwlite, onwlite, beside andwlita (see ANLETH).]
1. Beauty; splendor.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter, xxv[i]. 8. Ic lufade wlite huses ðines.
971. Blickl. Hom., 115. He [sc. the world] teah men to him þurh his wlite & þurh his fæʓernesse.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 19. Þe fader is on þe sune on þrie wise, þat on is on westme,… þat oðer is on wlite … swo fair is ure louerd … and þe þridde is on þewe.
c. 1205. Lay., 2934. Heo was þa ȝungeste suster, a wliten alre vairest. Ibid., 22844. Kerueð of hire neose & heore wlite ga to lose.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 439. Þe lilie mid hire faire wlite Wolcumeþ me.
c. 1275. Serving Christ, 68, in O. E. Misc., 92. Þer wereþ vre wlite in wurmene won.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xliv. 5. Þi wlite and fairehed ilike.
2. Face, countenance.
a. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxii. 16. Wlit vel onsion monna [Vulg. personam hominum].
a. 1225. [see WASTUM 2].
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2288. Sone he ȝede ut and stille he gret, Ðat al his wlite wurð teres wet.
Hence † Wliti a. [OE. wlitiʓ], beautiful.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. vi. 3. Ða ʓesawon Godes bearn … manna dohtra, ðæt hi wæron wlitiʓe.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 313. He awundrede him of hire wliti westum.
