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

An entire house as well as furniture and white goods can be flat-packed and loaded on a single lorry, he says.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2023

However, its use is limited to white goods, as it attacks fugitive colors and even light shades of those reputed to be fast.

From The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts Worth Knowing, Etc., Etc. The Whole Comprising a Comprehensive Cyclopedia of Information for the Home by Gillette, F. L. (Fanny Lemira)