whiteout
Americannoun
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Meteorology.
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a condition, found in polar regions, in which uniform illumination from snow on the ground and from a low cloud layer makes features of the landscape indistinguishable.
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a condition of heavily falling or blowing snow in which visibility is very poor.
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an act or instance of whiting out with a correction fluid.
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a white correction fluid used for this.
a bottle of whiteout.
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a mistake, as in typing, that has been whited out with a correction fluid.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of whiteout
1940–45; whiteout ( defs. 2, 3, 4 ) noun use of verb phrase white out; whiteout ( def. 1 ) white + (black)out
Explanation
A whiteout happens when snow falls so fast and heavily that you can't see very far in front of you. It's not safe to drive in a whiteout. Whiteout is an official meteorological term, also known as "milky weather." A true whiteout occurs when there's snow on the ground, falling or blowing snow, and a hazy sky that contributes to an observer's inability to see anything but vague shapes. It was coined in the mid-20th century to describe an extremely heavy U.S. prairie snowfall. In 1977, people started calling the white correction fluid used to cover typewritten mistakes whiteout, though the brand name is "Wite-Out."
Vocabulary lists containing whiteout
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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:
Monday morning, after a weekend of snowsquall and whiteout conditions, the crew unloaded the cargo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
The weather could bring whiteout conditions that will make travel difficult, according to NOAA.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2024
“Light, fluffy snow will be easily blown around, creating whiteout conditions with near-zero visibility at times,” the weather service office in Reno said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2024
Mushers always have contended with Alaska’s deep winter darkness and whiteout conditions.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2024
At dusk the whiteout began to break up.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Considering the whiteouts in past years, this represents growth.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024
I couldn't control the conditions - the blistering sun, the whiteouts, the temperatures of -30C - but I could control how I dealt with them.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2023
In famously snowy Buffalo, New York, forecasters predicted a “once-in-a-generation storm” because of heavy lake-effect snow, wind gusts as high as 65 mph, whiteouts and the potential for extensive power outages.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 23, 2022
These so-called snow squalls, when combined with strong wind gusts, can cause whiteouts, leading to “extremely hazardous” travel conditions, the Weather Service said.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2022
We have been warned about that in briefings, along with frostbite, wind, whiteouts, wind, intense cold, and finally, wind.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
