Whites

English

Etymology

In reference to the ancient Roman and medieval Byzantine racing faction, a calque of Latin albī (“Whites”), albātī (“White-Clads”), factio alba (“the white faction”), or factio albata (“the white-clad faction”) and Byzantine Greek Λευκοὶ (Leukoì, “Whites”).

Etymology 1

Noun

Whites

1. plural of White

Etymology 2

Proper noun

Whites

1. plural of White
2. (sports, historical) Any of several sports teams whose uniform is predominantly white, particularly
   1. (historical) The chariot-racing faction of the Roman circus and Constantinopolitan hippodrome that wore white.
      • 2002, James Allan Stewart Evans, The Age of Justinian..., p. 36:

        Directly opposite the imperial box in the Hippodrome were the seats assigned to the Blues, the Reds, the Whites, and the Greens. These were the colours of the chariot-racing factions, the professional organizations initially responsible for fielding the teams, though at some point in the fifth century they took charge of other public spectacles as well, and thus we can find factions even in cities which had no hippodromes.

   2. (soccer, UK) The away team during international matches.
      • 1996, S. Greenfield, "When the Whites Go Marching In? Racism and Resistances in English Football", Marquette Sports Law Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, Art. 7, p. 315: #*: "When the Whites go Marching In" is a version of the hymn "When the Saints go Marching In" and has been sung by football fans whilst attending "away" matches in other countries... In this context the reference is to English supporters indicating their disapproval of black players.

      When the Whites go marching in, oh, when the Whites go marching in, oh, I wanna be in that number when the Whites go marching in!

   3. (soccer) Juventus.

Coordinate terms

• (Roman charioteering factions): Blues, Greens, Reds; Golds, Purples (rare)

Anagrams

• swithe, withes