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Paleface vs Whiteface - What's the difference?

paleface | whiteface | Synonyms |

Paleface is a synonym of whiteface.


As nouns the difference between paleface and whiteface

is that paleface is (pejorative|slang) a white person; a person of descent while whiteface is (uncountable) makeup that makes the face appear white.

paleface

English

Alternative forms

* Paleface

Noun

(en noun)
  • (pejorative, slang) A white person; a person of descent.
  • * Paleface speak with forked tongue.

    • Usage notes

    * See the usage notes about (m).

    whiteface

    English

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Makeup that makes the face appear white.
    • Whiteface is sometimes worn by clowns and mimes, or in the Gothic subculture.
  • (countable) Any bird of the genus Aphelocephala .
  • A Hereford cow.
  • (countable, slang) A person of European descent.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2007, date=December 10, author=Janet Maslin, title=Cops Wife Spiraling Out of Control in Chicago, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=Craig has gotten himself entree into a dangerous Chinatown card game, where he is playing the role of the malleable whiteface , the unlucky Irishman known as Mickey in order to infiltrate the drug-dealing operations of Asian gang members. }}

    Synonyms

    * (European) paleface

    Usage notes

    The "white person" sense is rarely used directly; instead, it is found chiefly in reported or fictional speech, where it is ascribed to non-white characters, often as a way of establishing them as primitives.