"person who seeks or is put forward for an office by election or appointment," c. 1600, from Latin candidatus "one aspiring to office," originally "white-robed," past participle of candidare "to make white or bright," from candidus, past participle of candere "to shine" (from PIE root *kand- "to shine").

White was the usual color of the Roman toga, but office-seekers in ancient Rome wore a gleaming white toga (toga candida), probably whitened with fine powdered chalk, presumably to indicate the purity of their intentions in seeking a role in civic affairs.

in Thai, "white person," 1861, ultimately from Frank (see Feringhee).

fem. proper name, alternative form of Anna, from Latin Anna, from Greek, from Hebrew Hannah (see Hannah). In African-American vernacular, "white woman," also "a black woman who is considered to be acting 'too white;' " also Miss Ann (by 1926). She is the spouse of Mr. Charlie.

"white, crystalline substance discovered in gallstones," 1913, abstracted from cholesterol.

"jelly-like preparation in cookery," late 14c., from Old French blancmengier (13c.), literally "white eating," originally a dish of fowl minced with cream, rice, almonds, sugar, eggs, etc.; from blanc "white" (also used in Old French of white foods, such as eggs, cream, also white meats such as veal and chicken; see blank (adj.)) + mangier "to eat" (see manger). Attempts were made nativize it (Chaucer has blankemangere); French pronunciation is evident in 18c. variant blomange, and "the present spelling is a half attempt at restoring the French" [OED].

mid-15c., "silver-colored;" c. 1500, "of or resembling silver," from Old French argentin (12c.), from Latin argentinus "of silver," from argentum "silver," from PIE root *arg- "to shine; white," hence "silver" as the shining or white metal.

Middle English blechen, from Old English blæcan, of cloth or fabric, "to make white by removing color, whiten" (by exposure to chemical agents or the sun), from Proto-Germanic *blaikjan "to make white" (source also of Old Saxon blek, Old Norse bleikr, Dutch bleek, Old High German bleih, German bleich "pale;" Old Norse bleikja, Dutch bleken, German bleichen "to make white, cause to fade"), from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn," also "shining white."

The same root probably produced black (q.v.), perhaps because both black and white are colorless, or because both are associated in different ways with burning. For the contrary senses, compare Old English scimian, meaning both "to shine" and "to dim, grow dusky, grow dark," which is related to the source of shine.

The intransitive sense of "become white" is from 1610s. Related: Bleached; bleaching. The past participle in Middle English was sometimes blaught.

early 15c., "whitish, yellowish-white, flaxen-colored," from Old French auborne, from Medieval Latin alburnus "off-white, whitish," from Latin albus "white" (see alb). The meaning shifted 16c. to "reddish-brown" under influence of Middle English brun "brown" (see brown (adj.)) which also changed the spelling. Since the sense-shift it has generally been limited to hair. As a noun by 1852.

German white wine, 1833, from German, literally "milk of Our Lady."

"of or pertaining to Paros," one of the Cyclades, famous for its white marble.