whitecoat

[ hwahyt-koht, wahyt- ]

noun

1. a baby seal, usually less than four weeks old and still having its initial white fur.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whitecoat¹

First recorded in 1545–55; white + coat

Example Sentences

More than 2,300 Seventh-day Adventists who objected to U.S. military service during the period 1954-1973 volunteered for the Army’s “Operation Whitecoat” biodefense testing program based at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

From Washington Times

A group called the Whitecoat Alliance of medics said more than 50 medical staff had been arrested.

From Reuters

Sarah Mojarad, a lecturer who teaches a course on social media for scientists at the University of Southern California, said she has seen physicians either “bashing their patients” on the app or “whitecoat marketing,” a term that refers to the use of medical prestige to market inappropriate products like unauthorized supplements.

From Seattle Times

In the infamous Whitecoat Project, Philip Morris hired law firms to find scientists, aka “whitecoats,” who would help “resist and roll back smoking restrictions,” a plan detailed in a formerly confidential 1988 memo, and keep the controversy about the hazards of secondhand smoke alive.

From The Verge

Nicopure, which makes e-liquids and e-cigarettes, hired the same law firm that ran Philip Morris’ Whitecoat operation to cast doubt on the dangers of secondhand smoke.

From The Verge