white marriage
An unconsummated marriage.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They had a white marriage for religious reasons.”
“He wonders if a white marriage can actually work in the modern world.”
“You might choose a white marriage if you only want a legal partner.”
“After ten years together, she admitted they had a white marriage and were more like friends.”
“The historian explained that the king and queen lived in a white marriage to fulfill their political duties without ever becoming a real couple.”
“Some people choose a white marriage because they want a life partner but do not feel any physical attraction to others.”
“Though deeply devoted, the couple maintained a white marriage throughout their long union, finding intimacy in companionship rather than physical love.”
A calque of the French *mariage blanc*, the term rests upon the traditional association of the colour white with purity and virginity. The specific imagery refers to the absence of hymenal blood upon the couple's bedsheets following the wedding night. The lack of such physical evidence served as the primary indicator that the union remained unconsummated.
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marriage bed
Sexual activity between a married couple.
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marriage penalty
A situation where a married couple pays more in taxes, typically income taxes, when filing jointly, than the two individuals would pay if filing as singles separately.
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pearly whites
Teeth.
- 04
wash a blackamoor white
To labour in vain, especially so as to present something as better than it really is; to whitewash.
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white bread
Bread made from white flour.
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white coat hypertension
Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.
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white hat
A good person; a hero.
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white lie
A deliberately untrue statement which is intended to produce a favorable result; especially, one which is judged to be better than an overhonest alternative, as for example to remain polite in a superficial social exchange, or to choose one's battles.
Last updated August 10, 2026