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whiteface

American  
[hwahyt-fays, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˌfeɪs, ˈwaɪt- /

noun

  1. a Hereford.

  2. Theater.

    1. a performer, as a clown, who appears in clown white.

    2. the white facial makeup used by such a performer.


Etymology

Origin of whiteface

First recorded in 1700–10; white + face


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Further, she criticized Chicago police for their alleged failure to investigate an online video showing one of the brothers “in whiteface doing a joke monologue with white makeup on,”

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2022

It’s not the dodgy whiteface makeup that threatens to blow their cover, however.

From The Guardian ● May 28, 2019

Because, truly, you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2018

Black artists use whiteface to offer a powerful critique of white supremacy and internalized racism.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2018

About midnight we almost stumbled over a herd of them, and one fine old whiteface arose at our request and let us milk her.

From Three Times and Out by Nellie L. McClung

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