lily-white
[ adjective lil-ee-hwahyt, -wahyt; noun lil-ee-hwahyt, -wahyt ]
/ adjective ˈlɪl iˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt; noun ˈlɪl iˌʰwaɪt, -ˌwaɪt /
adjective
white as a lily: soft lily-white skin.
pure; untouched by corruption or imperfection; above reproach: He tries to pass himself off as some sort of lily-white saint, but he's not.
designating or pertaining to any faction, organization, or group opposing the inclusion of blacks, especially in political or social life.
noun
a member of a lily-white organization, especially a member of a former faction of the Republican Party in the South opposed to the inclusion of blacks in the party or in political life in general.
Origin of lily-white
1275–1325; Middle English
lylie-whyt
SYNONYMS FOR lily-white
Words nearby lily-white
lily of the valley,
lily pad,
lily-livered,
lily-of-the-nile,
lily-trotter,
lily-white,
lilyan,
lilyturf,
lim fjord,
lim.,
lima
Example sentences from the Web for lily-white
British Dictionary definitions for lily-white
lily-white
adjective
of a pure white
lily-white skin
informal
pure; irreproachable
US informal
- discriminating against Black peoplea lily-white club
- racially segregated