white goods

American  

plural noun

1. household goods, as bed sheets, tablecloths, and towels, formerly bleached and finished in white but now often patterned and colored.

2. bleached goods, especially cotton or linen fabrics.

3. large household appliances, as refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines.

4. alcoholic liquors that are manufactured without color, as vodka, gin, and tequila.

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white goods British  

plural noun

1. marketing large household appliances, such as refrigerators, cookers Compare brown goods

2. household linen such as sheets, towels, tablecloths, etc

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Etymology

Origin of white goods

First recorded in 1870–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

white goods

This year's multiple heat waves have increased the numbers of white goods such as fridges and freezers breaking down and needing to be scrapped at specialist sites.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Dozens of councils have been forced to stop collections of white goods due to a major backlog, which has built up due to a national shortage of specialists needed to safely process the appliances.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Lastly, durable goods, including cars, electrical appliances, white goods and furniture, have a lead time of about 3.5 quarters.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 18, 2026

Retail sales depend to a large degree on trade-in subsidies for items ranging from white goods to mobile phones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

What has been accomplished in this factory, which is the largest white goods muslin underwear plant in the world, will doubtless serve as an example to be followed by other firms.

From How To Write Special Feature Articles A Handbook for Reporters, Correspondents and Free-Lance Writers Who Desire to Contribute to Popular Magazines and Magazine Sections of Newspapers by Willard Grosvenor Bleyer

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