白

• Visual/Qualitative: White, bright, luminous, pure, unblemished.
• Abstract/State: Clear, manifest, void, or blank.
• Communicative (Verb): To explain, report, state, or make a matter clear.
• Idiomatic: In vain; for nothing (extending from the sense of "blankness" or "void").

The glyph functions as both an adjective and a verb. If it does not fit as a descriptive term for appearance, it should be tested as a verb of communication ("to bring to light" or "to report").

Contrast with 素: While both can mean "white," 白 typically denotes visual brightness or the reflection of light, whereas 素 tends toward the raw, unbleached, or primordial state of a material (e.g., raw silk).

• In formal or courtly settings (e.g., 白於...), the verb sense emphasizes the delivery of facts to remove ambiguity.
• When encountering the sense of "void," verify whether the text describes a physical void or an empty result ("in vain").