white goods

plural noun

1
a
: white fabrics especially of cotton or linen
b
: articles (such as sheets, towels, or curtains) originally or typically made of white cloth
2
: major household appliances (such as stoves and refrigerators) that are typically finished in white enamel

Examples of white goods in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Fang said the company aims to become the top Chinese brand of such white goods in North America, also in roughly the next two years. Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024 The support for the new UK right-to-repair legislation isn’t ubiquitous either, with one company telling the BBC that the new rules could make white goods more expensive. Adam Speight, WIRED, 10 July 2021 Xiaomi’s second-quarter smartphone revenue increased 27.1% on-year to 46.5 billion yuan, while white goods such as air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines also registered strong growth. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Asia, 13 Sep. 2024 So much of consumption occurs early in life, as people have children and buy homes, cars, and white goods. Zachary Karabell, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019 The firstborn son of a family of affluent Orthodox Jewish merchants who owned a chain of five furniture, white goods and music stores throughout the region, Epstein had been expelled from or dropped out of eight private schools before ending his formal education. Glenn Frankel, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2024 The scheme follows a similar French initiative for white goods such as fridges and washing machines. Oliver Briscoe, CNN, 13 July 2023 Midea Chairman Paul Fang hinted at interest in acquisitions in America and Europe in 2017 after the firm participated in the bidding for General Electric Co.’s white goods unit, which was sold to Chinese competitor Haier Group. Manuel Baigorri, Fortune, 30 Apr. 2023 If, due to prolonged power outages, residents get rid of white goods such as refrigerators, those should also be separated. Faimon Roberts, NOLA.com, 30 Oct. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of white goods was in 1807

Dictionary Entries Near white goods

Cite this Entry

“White goods.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20goods. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

white goods

plural noun
1
: articles of cloth (as sheets, towels, or curtains) used in the bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen
2
: major household appliances (as stoves and refrigerators) that typically are white-colored
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