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Whitewash vs Limewash - What's the difference?

whitewash | limewash |

As nouns the difference between whitewash and limewash

is that whitewash is a lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white while limewash is a mixture of slaked lime in water.

As verbs the difference between whitewash and limewash

is that whitewash is to paint over with a lime and water mixture so as to brighten up a wall or fence while limewash is to paint with limewash (slaked lime in water).

whitewash

Noun

(es)
  • A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.
  • * 1952 : For walls plaster gave a smooth white surface; or if it was not sufficiently white, or had become discoloured, it could be brightened up with a coat of whitewash or paint. — L.F. Salzman, Building in England , p. 157.
  • (sports) A complete victory or series of victories without suffering any losses; a clean sweep.
  • * 2010 , Andrew Miller, Cricinfo :
  • For the first time in a long time, Australia are being threatened with the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash
  • (obsolete) Any liquid composition for whitening something, such as a wash for making the skin fair.
  • (Addison)

    Verb

    (es)
  • To paint over with a lime and water mixture so as to brighten up a wall or fence.
  • The houses looked very bright when they whitewashed the whole neighborhood .
  • (idiomatic) To cover over errors or bad actions.
  • In his sermon, the minister didn't try to whitewash over the sins of his church .
  • (dated) To repay the financial debts of (another person).
  • *
  • To prevent a team from scoring any runs.
  • (acting) To choose white film or television actors to portray characters that were Asian, African, or other races.
  • (pejorative) To make over (an Asian, African, or person of another race, especially a woman) to look Caucasian.
  • See also

    * blackwash

    limewash

    English

    Noun

  • A mixture of slaked lime in water.
  • Verb

    (es)
  • To paint with limewash (slaked lime in water).