white hat

[ hwahyt hat, wahyt ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a virtuous hero, especially in a cowboy movie; good guy.
2. Also called white hat hack·er. Computers. a hacker who violates the security of a system with the knowledge and consent of the owner or developer in order to test the code, without malicious intent.

white hat

noun

1. informal.
   1. a computer hacker who is hired by an organization to undertake nonmalicious hacking work in order to discover computer-security flaws
   2. ( as modifier ) Compare black hat

      a white-hat hacker

Other Words From

• white-hat white-hat·ted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of white hat¹

First recorded in 1960–65 white hat fordef 1, and in 1990–95 white hat fordef 2; from the white hat often worn by the virtuous hero in a cowboy movie

Example Sentences

You see, we open with Olivia lounging with her white hat and a copy of Gone Girl on the beach.

From The Daily Beast

But these hidden passions were before young farmer Wurzel, in his blue tie and white hat, had proposed to her.

From Project Gutenberg

The sun was on Evelyn Clifford's hair, burnishing it to a halo of gold under the white hat.

From Project Gutenberg

The big man puffed violently into the flowers of his wife's little white hat.

From Project Gutenberg

One had a tall white hat like a truncated cone, with a flat brim, a head-covering I remembered seeing in Nakchu.

From Project Gutenberg

The clerk rubbed a speck off one of his finger nails and glanced sidewise at a tall man in a white hat sitting in the lobby.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• affable
• amiable
• attractive
• charming
• easygoing
• gregarious
• likable
• pleasant