"becoming white," 1825, from Latin albescentem (nominative albescens), present participle of albescere "become white," inceptive of albere "be white" (from Latin albus "white;" see alb), with inchoative suffix -escere. Related: Albescence.

"Pentecost," late Old English Hwita Sunnandæg "white Sunday" (see white (adj.)); possibly so called from the white baptismal robes worn by newly baptized Christians on this day. Related: Whitsuntide.

1862, from German Edelweiß, literally "noble white," from Old High German edili "noble" (see atheling) + German weiss "white" (see white).

late Old English albe "white linen robe" worn by priests, converts, etc., from Late Latin alba (in tunica alba or vestis alba "white vestment"), fem. of albus "white," from PIE root *albho- "white" (source also of Greek alphos "white leprosy," alphiton "barley meal;" Old High German albiz, Old English elfet "swan," literally "the white bird;" Old Church Slavonic and Russian lebedi, Polish łabędź "swan;" Hittite alpash "cloud").

also leucocyte, "white blood cell, white or colorless corpuscle of the blood or lymph," 1860, via French leucocyte, from leuco-, a Latinized combining form of Greek leukos "white, clear," from PIE root *leuk- "light, brightness" + -cyte "cell."

1970, proprietary name of a rocket-propelled short-range guided missile, trademarked 1970 by Société Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale, from French exocet "flying fish" (16c.), from Latin exocoetus, from Greek exokoitos "sleeping fish, fish that sleeps upon the beach," from exō "outside" (see exo-) + koitos "bed."

"driving forward, propelling," the less-etymological, but more usual, modern spelling of propellent,1640s, from propel + -ent. As a noun from 1814, "that which propels or drives forward;" by 1881 as "a firearm explosive;" by 1919 as "fuel for a rocket engine."

"of two different colors, having spots or patches of white and black or another color," 1580s, formed from pie (n.2) "magpie" + bald in its older sense of "spotted, white;" in reference to the black-and-white plumage of the magpie. Hence, "of mixed character, heterogeneous, mongrel" (1580s). Properly only of black-and-white colorings (compare skewbald).

"thing thrown or discharged as a weapon for the purpose of hitting something," 1650s, from missile (adj.), 1610s, "capable of being thrown," chiefly in phrase missile weapon, from French missile and directly from Latin missilis "that may be thrown or hurled" (also, in plural, as a noun, "weapons that can be thrown, darts, javelins"), from missus "a throwing, hurling," past participle of mittere "to release, let go; send, throw" (see mission). Sense of "self-propelled rocket or bomb" is first recorded 1738; in reference to modern rocket-propelled, remote-guidance projectiles by 1945.

capital of Austria, Latin Vindobona, from Gaulish vindo- "white," from Celtic *vindo- (source also of Old Irish find, Welsh gwyn "white;" see Gwendolyn) + bona "foundation, fort." The "white" might be a reference to the river flowing through it. Related: Viennese.