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

Example Sentences

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

Appliance makers focusing on compact, multifunctional devices report stronger order books than producers of large-format white goods.

From Barron's • Dec. 27, 2025

It sold off a slew of businesses including mobile phones, medical systems and white goods.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2023

I sold them a consignment last year; but, say, if you want to see real classy white goods you ought to see some ratine cutaways I'm bringing over.

From Every Soul Hath Its Song by Hurst, Fannie