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whiteface

American  
[hwahyt-fays, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˌfeɪs, ˈwaɪt- /

noun

  1. a Hereford.

  2. Theater.

    1. a performer, as a clown, who appears in clown white.

    2. the white facial makeup used by such a performer.


Etymology

Origin of whiteface

First recorded in 1700–10; white + face


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Further, she criticized Chicago police for their alleged failure to investigate an online video showing one of the brothers “in whiteface doing a joke monologue with white makeup on,”

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2022

It’s not the dodgy whiteface makeup that threatens to blow their cover, however.

From The Guardian ● May 28, 2019

Because, truly, you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2018

In the 20th century, we saw Black performers use whiteface to poke fun at racism.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2018

"Fifteen, sixteen—prod 'em up, you Arizona—seventeen, eighteen—jab that whiteface along—nineteen—hustle 'em in."

From Gunsight Pass How Oil Came to the Cattle Country and Brought a New West by William MacLeod Raine

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