Definition

Noun: 1. Large electrical home appliances: This term refers to major household appliances, typically finished in white enamel, that are used for essential domestic tasks. Common examples include refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, and stoves. 2. Household linens (archaic): Historically, the term also referred to household textiles made of white cloth, such as sheets, towels, and tablecloths. This usage is now much less common, with the first definition being predominant in modern English.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Modern Usage):

  • The delivery truck arrived with the new white goods: a refrigerator and an electric range.
  • When moving into a new apartment, you often need to purchase white goods like a washing machine.
  • The store has a sale on all major white goods this weekend.

• Noun (Historical/Archaic Usage):

  • In the 19th century, a trousseau often included a supply of white goods like linens and undergarments.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in retail, manufacturing, and economic contexts to categorize and discuss the market for these large appliances.
  • The white goods industry has seen significant innovation in energy efficiency.
• Despite the name "white," these appliances are now commonly available in stainless steel, black, or other colors, but the categorical term remains.

Variants and Related Words

• Major appliance(s): A more modern and common synonym, especially in American English.
• Brown goods: A contrasting retail term for portable electronic entertainment products, such as televisions, radios, and computers.
• Consumer durables: A broader economic term for long-lasting consumer goods, which includes both white goods and brown goods.

Synonyms

• Major appliances
• Household appliances
• Large appliances

Antonyms

• Brown goods (as a product category)
• Small appliances (e.g., toasters, blenders)

Related Phrases

• White goods retailer: A store that specializes in selling these large appliances.
• White goods recycling: The process of dismantling and recovering materials from old, discarded large appliances.

Noun

1. drygoods for household use that are typically made of white cloth
2. large electrical home appliances (refrigerators or washing machines etc.) that are typically finished in white enamel