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To whitewash something is to paint it using whitewash, a white fluid which is used as an inexpensive and
quick way to coat walls, fences, and other structures. It can be composed of different things. Generally, it is a mixture of
slaked lime (Ca(OH)2), flour, salt, glue, and whiting. Sometimes
molasses, water glass, or
soap is added.
It is usually used externally, for example, to whitewash a fence, as Tom
Sawyer was made to do. Occasionally, it is colored and used on interiors, such as in the hallways of apartment buildings.
The word "whitewash" is sometimes used (particularly in politics) to describe a
cover-up or a deliberate downplaying of a problem.
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