fem. proper name, feminine form of Eric. The plant genus is Modern Latin, from Greek ereike "tree heather," which resembles words for "heather" in Celtic and Balto-Slavic, all of which were perhaps borrowed from a common source (see brier (n.2)).

 type of cookie (made by Nabisco), 1912; the source of the name has been forgotten. As a derogatory word for "black person felt to have a 'white' mentality," 1968, African-American vernacular, from the snack cookies, which consist of dark chocolate wafers and white sugar cream filling (hence "brown outside, white inside"). Compare radish-communist (1920), one who proclaims enthusiasm for the Party but privately opposes it, on the notion of red outside, white inside.

fem. proper name; the first element is Breton gwenn "white" (source also of Welsh gwyn, Old Irish find, Gaelic fionn, Gaulish vindo- "white, shining," literally "visible"), from nasalized form of PIE root *weid- "to see."

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.

Greek island, the name is believed to be of Phoenician origin, from Semitic root l-b-n "white." Related: Lemnian.

also Sauternes, name for certain white wines from the Gironde, by 1711, from Sauterne, district near Bordeaux where they are made.

masc. proper name, from French, from Old High German Hugubert, literally "bright-minded," from hugu "mind" (see Hugh) + beraht "bright" (from PIE root *bhereg- "to shine; bright, white.").

city founded 1853, named for Seatlh (c. 1790-1866), native chief who befriended white settlers. His name is in the Salishan tongue.

fem. proper name, from French Blanche, from Old French blanc "white," a word of Germanic origin (see blank (adj.)). A fairly popular name for girls born in the U.S. from about 1880 to 1900.

fem. proper name, from Italian, fem. of bianco "white," which is from Germanic (see blank (adj.)). A doublet of French Blanche, which also is from Germanic, and compare Gwen, which means the same.