How Do You Spell WHITEOUT?

Pronunciation: [wˈa͡ɪta͡ʊt] (IPA)

The word "whiteout" refers to a weather phenomenon when heavy snowfall or a blizzard obscures visibility. It is pronounced /ˈwaɪtaʊt/ with the first syllable pronounced like "why" and the second syllable pronounced like "out". The spelling of "whiteout" is a combination of the word "white" and the verb "out", which means "to obliterate or blot out". The spelling accurately reflects the meaning of the word, as a "whiteout" cannot only obscure visibility but also erase any visible landmarks.

WHITEOUT Meaning and Definition

  1. Whiteout is a noun that refers to a meteorological phenomenon characterized by the complete obliteration of visibility due to heavy snowfall or blowing snow in which an observer is unable to discern any objects or landmarks in their surroundings. It occurs when snow is blown by strong winds and becomes airborne, creating a thick curtain of white that obscures all visibility, similar to a dense fog. These severe weather conditions can often be dangerous and disorienting, as they render a person unable to perceive any visual cues or reference points, thereby increasing the risk of accidents, navigation errors, and loss of direction.

    In addition to its meteorological meaning, whiteout can also be used as a noun to describe a correction fluid designed to cover up or erase mistakes when writing or typing. This substance, typically white in color, is applied to paper or other surfaces with a brush or applicator to effectively conceal or rectify errors made during writing or typing. Whiteout serves as a convenient tool for achieving clean, readable documents by concealing past errors without leaving any visible traces of correction.

Top Common Misspellings for WHITEOUT *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for WHITEOUT

Etymology of WHITEOUT

The word "whiteout" originated in the early 20th century and is derived from combining the words "white" and "out".

The term "white" refers to the color, while "out" is used to indicate the action of covering or obscuring something. The word "whiteout" specifically refers to a weather condition where visibility is severely reduced due to heavy snowfall or blowing snow, resulting in a uniform white appearance that makes it difficult to distinguish any details or landmarks.

In a broader sense, "whiteout" is also commonly used to refer to an erasing or covering up of something, similar to how heavy snow can hide or obliterate objects from view. This connotation has led to the term "whiteout" being applied to various contexts beyond weather phenomena, such as correcting mistakes by erasing or covering them with white correction fluid.

Similar spelling words for WHITEOUT

Plural form of WHITEOUT is WHITEOUTS

Infographic

Add the infographic to your website: