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white hat
[ hwahyt-hat, wahyt ]
/ ˈʰwaɪt ˈhæt, ˈwaɪt /
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noun Informal.
a virtuous hero, especially in a cowboy movie; good guy.
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.
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Origin of white hat
First recorded in 1960–65 for def. 1, and in 1990–95 for def. 2; from the white hat often worn by the virtuous hero in a cowboy movie
OTHER WORDS FROM white hat
white-hat, white-hat·ted, adjectiveWords nearby white hat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use white hat in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for white hat
white hat
noun
informal
- a computer hacker who is hired by an organization to undertake nonmalicious hacking work in order to discover computer-security flaws
- (as modifier)a white-hat hacker Compare black hat
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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