off-white

[ awf-hwahyt, -wahyt, of- ]

adjective

1. white mixed with a small amount of gray, yellow, or other light color.

noun

1. an off-white color.

off-white

noun

1. a colour, such as cream or bone, consisting of white mixed with a tinge of grey or with a pale hue

adjective

1. of such a colour

   an off-white coat

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-white¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

On Wednesday nights when I was growing up, a local Baptist preacher drove an off-white school bus through our community to pick up kids for his church’s weekly children’s program.

From Los Angeles Times

I scanned the stacks of books teetering against one wall, not on shelves but layered like bricks, and a slim off-white spine called to me: Sylvia Plath’s "Ariel."

From Salon

Portions of the sky that were once a vivid orangish yellow have faded to off-white.

From Science Daily

The emergency department was a tidy, off-white building until Israeli troops returned there in March.

From New York Times

Mr. Moskowitz first came to broad notice with collagelike paintings in which he glued window shades to canvases that had been painted various shades of off-white.

From New York Times

Related Words

• camel
• cream
• khaki
• tan
• taupe