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definitions

white hope

noun

a person who is expected to accomplish much in a given field: the white hope of the American theater.
Sports. (formerly) a white man who had a good chance of winning the heavyweight boxing championship from a black man.

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Nearby words

  1. white gum,
  2. white hake,
  3. white hat,
  4. white heat,
  5. white hole,
  6. white horse,
  7. white house,
  8. white house, the,
  9. white hunter,
  10. white infarct

Origin of white hope

First recorded in 1905–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for white hope

white hope

noun

informal a person who is expected to bring honour or glory to his group, team, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for white hope

white hope

n.

c.1912, originally in sporting use in reference to the quest for a white man capable of beating champion pugilist Jack Johnson.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper