English-Thai Dictionary
black
ADJ ชั่วร้าย evil wicked chua-rai
black
ADJ ดำ สี ดำ dam
black
ADJ ผิวดำ phiol-dam
black
ADJ มืด มืดมัว ไม่ สว่าง dark med
black
ADJ ไร้ ความหวัง สิ้นหวัง มืดมน hopeless rai-khwam-wang
black
N คนผิวดำ African-American Afro-American Negroid kon-phiol-dam
black
N สี ดำ se-dam
black
VT ทำให้ ดำ tam-hai-dam
black and blue
IDM รอย ฟกช้ำดำเขียว roi-fok-cham-dam-kiaol
black and blue
SL บอบช้ำ (ทาง อารมณ์ หรือ ร่างกาย bob-chom
black and white
SL สถานีตำรวจ โรงพัก sa-tan ne-tam-ruad
black magic
N เวทมนตร์ ชั่วร้าย คาถา ที่ ใช้ ใน ทาง ชั่วร้าย คุณ ไสย conjuration enchantment wed-mon-chua-rai
black market
N ตลาด ที่ มี การซื้อขาย สิ่งผิดกฎหมาย ta-lad-ti-mee-kan-suek-hai-sing-phid-kod-mai
black market
N ตลาดมืด ta-lad-mued
black marketeer
N ผู้ขาย สินค้า ใน ตลาดมืด phu-kai-sin-ka-nai-ta-lad-mued
black out
PHRV ขีดฆ่า ออก ลบ ออก ด้วย การ ขีดฆ่า blacken out khid-ka-ook
black out
PHRV ทำให้ มืด ลง blacken out tham-hai-mued-long
black out
PHRV ปิดข่าว (เพราะ เหตุผล ทางการเมือง blacken out pid-khaol
black out
PHRV หยุด การ ถ่ายทอด blacken out yud-kan-thai-thod
black out
PHRV เป็นลม สลบ ไม่รู้สึกตัว blacken out pass out pen-lom
black sheep (of the family)
IDM แกะดำ (ของ ครอบครัว ลูก ชัง คนที่ มี ความประพฤติ แย่ ที่สุด ของ ครอบครัว kae-dam
black up
PHRV ทำให้ เป็น สี ดำ (ตรง ส่วน ใบหน้า และมือ tam-hai-pan-se-dam
blackamoor
N คนผิวดำ
blackandwhite
N สี ดำ และ สี ขาว เท่านั้น
blackavised
A ที่ มี ผิวดำ
blackball
VT ป้องกัน ไม่ ให้ เข้าร่วม โดย ออกเสียง ต่อต้าน pong-kan-mai-hai-khaol-ruam-doi-ook-siang-tor-tan
blackbelt
N เชต ชุมชน คนผิวดำ สาย ดำ ของ นัก ยูโด
blackberry
N ผลไม้ สี ดำ ขนาดเล็ก phon-la-mai-se-dam-kha-nad-lek
blackberrying
N การ เก็บ ผล blackberry kan-keb-phon
blackbird
N นก ยุโรปช นิดหนึ่ง nok-yu-rob-cha-nid-nueng
blackbirder
N คนที่ ค้า ทาส
blackboard
N กระดานดำ chalkboard kra-dan-dam
blackbox
N กล่องดำ บันทึก การ บิน บน เครื่องบิน
blackbrowed
A ที่ ทำ หน้าบึ้ง
blackcap
N นกช นิดหนึ่ง มี ขน สี ดำ บน หัว
blackcoat
N บาทหลวง
blackcurrent
N ผล แบ ล็ก เบอร์ รี่ ที่อยู่ เป็น ช่อ phon-blaek-boe-ri-ti-yu-pen-chor
blacken
VT ทำให้ เป็น สี ดำ tham-hai-pen-se-dam
blacken out
PHRV ขีดฆ่า ออก ลบ ออก ด้วย การ ขีดฆ่า black out khid-ka-ook
blacken out
PHRV ทำให้ มืด ลง black out tham-hai-mued-long
blacken out
PHRV ปิดข่าว (เพราะ เหตุผล ทางการเมือง black out pid-khaol
blacken out
PHRV หยุด การ ถ่ายทอด black out yud-kan-thai-thod
blacken out
PHRV เป็นลม สลบ ไม่รู้สึกตัว black out pen-lom
blackfeet
N ชาวอินเดียน แดง เผ่า หนึ่ง
blackfish
N ปลา สี ดำ
blackfoot
A ที่ เกี่ยวกับ ชาวอินเดียน แดง เผ่า หนึ่ง
blackguard
N ผู้ ไม่ ซื่อสัตย์ และ เลวทราม phu-mai-sue-sad-lae-leol-sam
blackguardly
A เลว มาก
blackhead
N รอย หรือ สิวหัวดำ เล็กๆ บน ผิว roi-rue-sio-hua-dam-lek-lek-bon-phiol
blackheart
N โรค พืช ที่ ทำให้ ด้านใน เนื้อเยื่อ เป็น สี ดำ
blackhearted
A ที่ มีใจ ดำ
blacking
N สิ่ง ที่ ใช้ ขัด ให้ เป็น สี ดำ
blackish
ADJ หม่น ดำ ค่อนข้าง ดำ mon
blackjack
N เกม ไพ่ช นิดหนึ่ง kem-pai-cha-nid-nueng
blacklead
N แกร ไฟ ท์
blackleg
N ผู้ ยังคง ทำงาน ขณะที่ คนอื่น หยุดงาน ประท้วง phu-yang-kong-tham-ngan-kha-na-ti-khon-uen-yud-ngan-pra-tuang
blackletter
A ที่ เกี่ยวกับ อักษร ตัว หนา
blacklist
N รายชื่อ ผู้ ที่ รัฐบาล ไม่ยอมรับ หรือ ต้อง ถูก หลีกเลี่ยง rai-chue-phu-ti-rad-tha-ban-mai-yom-rab-rue-tong-tuk-lik-liang
blacklist
SL ใส่ ใน บัญชีรายชื่อ ของ คนที่ ทำ ไม่ดี sai-nai-ban-chi-rai-chue-kong-kon-ti-tham-mai-de
blackly
ADV ด้วย ความโกรธ angrily
blackmail
N การขู่ ว่า จะ เปิดโปง ความลับ kan-ku-wa-ja-poed-pong-khwam-lab
blackmail
VT หักหลัง ขู่ ขู่กรรโชก extort hold up shake down hak-lang
blackmailer
N ผู้ ขู่ ว่า จะ เปิดโปง ความลับ phu-khu-wa-ja-poed-pong-khwam-lab
blackmailing
N การขู่ เอา เงิน
blackmarket
N ตลาดมืด
blackness
N ความดำมืด ความมืด มน darkness khwam-dam-mued
blackout
N การ เป็นลม การ หมดสติ faint swoon kan-pen-lom
blacksmith
N ช่างเหล็ก ช่างตีเหล็ก smith chang-leak
blacksnake
N งู ดำช นิดหนึ่ง ngoo-dam-cha-nid-nueng
blackstrap
N เหล้า ที่ ทำ จาก น้ำอ้อย ผสม น้ำผึ้ง lao-ti-tam-jak-nam-oi-pa-som-nam-pueng
blacktail
N สัตว์ ที่ มี หาง สี ดำ sad-ti-mi-harng-si-dam
blackthorn
N พุ่มไม้ มี หนาม pum-mai-me-nam
blacktop
N วัสดุ ราด ผิวถนน wad-sa-du-rad-phiol-tha-non
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
BLACK
a. 1. Of the color of night; destitute of light; dark.
2. Darkened by clouds; as the heavens black with clouds.
3. Sullen; having a cloudy look or countenance.
4. Atrociously wicked; horrible; as a black deed or crime.
5. Dismal; mournful; calamitous.
Black and blue, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh, which is accompanied with a mixture of blue.
BLACK
n.That which is destitute of light or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of all color; as, a cloth has a good black. 1. A negro; a person whose skin is black.
2. A black dress, or mourning; as, to be clothed in black.
BLACK
v.t.To make black; to blacken; to soil.
BLACK-ACT
n.[black and act. ] The English statute 9. Geo. I. which makes it felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc. , or to hunt or steal deer, etc. , with the face blacked or disguised.
BLACK-BALL
n.[black and ball. ] A composition for blacking shoes.
BLACK-BALL
v.t.To reject or negative in choosing, by putting black balls into a ballot-box.
BLACK-BAR
n.[black and bar. ] A plea obliging the plaintiff to assign the place of trespass.
BLACK-BERRY
n.The berry of the bramble or rubus; a popular name applied, in different places, to different species, or varieties of this fruit.
BLACK-BIRD
n.[black and bird. ] In England, the merula, a species of turdus, a singing bird with a fine note, but very loud. In America, this name is given to different birds, as to the gracula quiscula, or crow black-bird, and to the oriolus phaeniceus, or red winged black-bird.
BLACK-BOOK
n.[black and book. ] The Black Book of the Exchequer in England, is a book said to have been composed in 1175, by Gervais of Tilbury. It contains a description of the Court of Exchequer, its officers, their ranks and privileges, wages, perquisites and jurisdiction, with the revenues of the crown, in money, grain and cattle. 1. Any book which treats of necromancy.
2. A book compiled by order of the visitors of monasteries, under Henry VIII., containing a detailed account of the enormities practiced in religious houses, to blacken them and to hasten their dissolution.
BLACK-BROWED
a.[black and brow. ] Having black eye-brows; gloomy; dismal; threatening; as a black-browed gust.
BLACK-BRYONY
n.[black and bryony. ] A plant, the Tamus.
BLACK-CAP
n.[black and cap. ] A bird, the Motacilla atricapilla, or mock-nightingale; so called from its black crown. It is common in Europe. 1. In cookery, an apple roasted till black, to be served up in a dish of boiled custard.
BLACK-CATTLE
n.[black and cattle. ] Cattle of the bovine genus, as bulls, oxen and cows. [English. ]
BLACK-CHALK
n.A mineral of a bluish black color, of a slaty texture, and soiling the fingers when handled; a variety of argillaceous slate.
BLACK-COCK
n.[black and cock. ] A fowl, called also black-grous and black-game, the Tetrao tetrix of Linne.
BLACK-EAGLE
n.[black and eagle. ] In Scotland, a name given to the Falco fulvus, the white tailed eagle of Edwards.
BLACK-EARTH
n.Mold; earth of a dark color.
BLACKED
pp. Made black; soiled.
BLACKEN
v.t. 1. To make black.
The importation of slaves that has blackened half America.
2. To make dark; to darken; to cloud.
3. To soil.
4. To sully reputation; to make infamous; as, vice blackens the character.
BLACKEN
v.i.To grow black, or dark.
BLACKENER
n.He that blackens.
BLACK-EYED
a.Having black eyes.
BLACK-FACED
a.Having a black face.
BLACK-FISH
n.[black and fish. ] A fish in the Orontes, about twenty inches long, in shape resembling the sheat-fish. Its eyes are placed near the corners of its mouth on the edge of the lower jaw. 1. In the U. States, a fish caught on the rocky shores of New England.
BLACK-FOREST
n.[black and forest. ] A forest in Germany, in Swabia; a part of the ancient Hercynian forest.
BLACK-FRIAR
n.Black-friars is a name given to the Dominican Order, called also Predicants and preaching friars; in France, Jacobins.
BLACK-GUARD
n.[said to be of black and guard; but is it not a corruption of black-ard, black-king?] A vulgar term applied to a mean fellow, who uses abusive, scurrilous language, or treats others with foul abuse.
BLACKING
ppr. Making black.
BLACKING
n.A substance used for blacking shoes, variously made; any factitious matter for making things black.
BLACKISH
a.Somewhat black; moderately black or dark.
BLACK-JACK
A name given by miners to blend, a mineral called also false galena, and blend. It is an ore of zink, in combination with iron and sulphur, sulfuret of zink. 1. A leathern cup of old times.
BLACK-LEAD
n.A mineral of a dark steel-gray color, and of a scaly texture, composed of carbon, with a small portion of iron. This name, black-lead, is improper, as it contains no lead. It is called plumbago, and technically graphite, as it is used for pencils.
BLACK-LEGS
n.In some parts of England, a disease among calves and sheep. It is a sort of jelly which settles in the legs and sometimes in the neck.
BLACKLY
adv. Darkly; atrociously.
BLACK-MAIL
n.A certain rate of money, corn, cattle or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England, to certain men, who were allied to robbers, to be by them protected from pillage. 1. Black rent, or rents paid in corn or flesh.
BLACK-MONDAY
n.Easter Monday, in 34. Ed. III., which was misty, obscure, and so cold that men died on horseback.
BLACK-MONKS
n.A denomination given to the Benedictines.
BLACK-MOOR
n.[black and moor. ] A negro; a black man.
BLACK-MOUTHED
a.Using foul or scurrilous language.
BLACKNESS
n.The quality of being black; black color; darkness; atrociousness or enormity in wickedness.
BLACK-PUDDING
n.A kind of food made of blood and grain.
BLACK-ROD
n.[black and rod. ] In England, the usher belonging to the order of the garter; so called from the black rod which he carries. He is of the king's chamber and usher of Parliament.
BLACK-ROW GRAINS
n.A species of iron stone or ore, found in the mines about Dudley in Staffordshire, England.
BLACKSEA
n.[black and sea. ] The Euxine Sea, on the eastern border of Europe.
BLACK-SHEEP
n.[black and sheep. ] In oriental history, the ensign or standard of a race of Turkmans in Armenia and Mesopotamia.
BLACKSMITH
n.[black and smith. ] A smith who works in iron, and makes iron utensils; more properly, an iron-smith. Black'-strakes, in a ship, are a range of planks immediately above the wales in a ship's side, covered with tar and lamp-black.
BLACK-TAIL
n.[black and tail. ] A fish, a kind of perch, called also a ruff or pope.
BLACK-THORN
n.[black and thorn. ] A species of prunus, called also sloe. It grows ten or twelve feet high, very branchy, and armed with sharp, strong spines, and bearing small, round, black cherries. It is much cultivated for hedges.
BLACK-TIN
n.[black and tin. ] Tin ore, when dressed, stamped and washed ready for melting. It is the ore comminuted by beating into a black power, like fine sand.
BLACK-VISAGED
a.Having a dark visage or appearance.
BLACK-WADD
n.[black and wadd.] An ore of manganese, found in Derbyshire, England, and used as a drying ingredient in paints. It is remarkable for taking fire, when mixed with linseed oil in a certain proportion.
BLACK-WORK
n.[black and work. ] Iron wrought by black-smiths; so called in distinction from that wrought by white-smiths.
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
BLACK
Black, a. Etym: [OE. blak, AS. blæc; akin to Icel. blakkr dark, swarthy, Sw. bläck ink, Dan. blæk, OHG. blach, LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not akin to AS. blac, E. bleak pallid.
1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.O night, with hue so black! Shak.
2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the heavens black with clouds. I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud. Shak.
3. Fig. : Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness; destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked; cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. "This day's black fate. " "Black villainy. " "Arise, black vengeance. " "Black day. " "Black despair. " Shak.
4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen; foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words; as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired, black-visaged. Black act, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc. , or to hunt or steal deer, etc. , with the face blackened or disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been called black acts. -- Black angel (Zoöl.), a fish of the West Indies and Florida (Holacanthus tricolor ), with the head and tail yellow, and the middle of the body black. -- Black antimony (Chem. ), the black sulphide of antimony, Sb2S3, used in pyrotechnics, etc. -- Black bear (Zoöl.), the common American bear (Ursus Americanus ). -- Black beast. See Bête noire. -- Black beetle (Zoöl.), the common large cockroach (Blatta orientalis ). -- Black and blue, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh, which is accompanied with a mixture of blue. "To pinch the slatterns black and blue. " Hudibras. -- Black bonnet (Zoöl.), the black-headed bunting (Embriza Schoeniclus ) of Europe. -- Black canker, a disease in turnips and other crops, produced by a species of caterpillar. -- Black cat (Zoöl.), the fisher, a quadruped of North America allied to the sable, but larger. See Fisher. -- Black cattle, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng. ] -- Black cherry. See under Cherry. -- Black cockatoo (Zoöl.), the palm cockatoo. See Cockatoo. -- Black copper. Same as Melaconite. -- Black currant. (Bot. ) See Currant. -- Black diamond. (Min. ) See Carbonado. -- Black draught (Med. ), a cathartic medicine, composed of senna and magnesia. -- Black drop (Med. ), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar. -- Black earth, mold; earth of a dark color. Woodward. -- Black flag, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance. -- Black flea (Zoöl.), a flea beetle (Haltica nemorum ) injurious to turnips. -- Black flux, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal, obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of niter. Brande & C. -- Black fly. (Zoöl.) (a ) In the United States, a small, venomous, two-winged fly of the genus Simulium of several species, exceedingly abundant and troublesome in the northern forests. The larvæ are aquatic. (b ) A black plant louse, as the bean aphis (A. fabæ ). -- Black Forest Etym: [a translation of G. Schwarzwald ], a forest in Baden and Würtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient Hercynian forest. -- Black game, or Black grouse. (Zoöl.) See Blackcock, Grouse, and Heath grouse. -- Black grass (Bot. ), a grasslike rush of the species Juncus Gerardi, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay. -- Black gum (Bot. ), an American tree, the tupelo or pepperidge. See Tupelo. -- Black Hamburg (grape ) (Bot. ), a sweet and juicy variety of dark purple or "black " grape. -- Black horse (Zoöl.), a fish of the Mississippi valley (Cycleptus elongatus ), of the sucker family; the Missouri sucker. -- Black lemur (Zoöl.), the Lemurniger of Madagascar; the acoumbo of the natives. -- Black list, a list of persons who are for some reason thought deserving of censure or punishment; -- esp. a list of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See Blacklist, v. t. -- Black manganese (Chem. ), the black oxide of manganese, MnO2. -- Black Maria, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried to or from jail. -- Black martin (Zoöl.), the chimney swift. See Swift. -- Black moss (Bot. ), the common so-called long moss of the southern United States. See Tillandsia. -- Black oak. See under Oak. -- Black ocher. See Wad. -- Black pigment, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance, or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar. -- Black plate, sheet iron before it is tinned. Knight. -- Black quarter, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a shoulder or quarter, etc. , as of an ox. -- Black rat (Zoöl.), one of the species of rats (Mus rattus ), commonly infesting houses. -- Black rent. See Blackmail, n., 3. -- Black rust, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain. -- Black sheep, one in a family or company who is unlike the rest, and makes trouble. -- Black silver. (Min. ) See under Silver. -- Black and tan, black mixed or spotted with tan color or reddish brown; -- used in describing certain breeds of dogs. -- Black tea. See under Tea. -- Black tin (Mining ), tin ore (cassiterite ), when dressed, stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form of a black powder, like fine sand. Knight. -- Black walnut. See under Walnut. -- Black warrior (Zoöl.), an American hawk (Buteo Harlani ).
Syn. -- Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart; Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.
BLACK
BLACK Black, adv.
Defn: Sullenly; threateningly; maliciously; so as to produce blackness.
BLACK
BLACK Black, n.
1. That which is destitute of light or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of all color; as, a cloth has a good black. Black is the badge of hell, The hue of dungeons, and the suit of night. Shak.
2. A black pigment or dye.
3. A negro; a person whose skin is of a black color, or shaded with black; esp. a member or descendant of certain African races.
4. A black garment or dress; as, she wears black; pl. (Obs. )
Defn: Mourning garments of a black color; funereal drapery. Friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like show death terrible. Bacon. That was the full time they used to wear blacks for the death of their fathers. Sir T. North.
5. The part of a thing which is distinguished from the rest by being black. The black or sight of the eye. Sir K. Digby.
6. A stain; a spot; a smooch. Defiling her white lawn of chastity with ugly blacks of lust. Rowley. Black and white, writing or print; as, I must have that statement in black and white. -- Blue black, a pigment of a blue black color. -- Ivory black, a fine kind of animal charcoal prepared by calcining ivory or bones. When ground it is the chief ingredient of the ink used in copperplate printing. -- Berlin black. See under Berlin.
BLACK
Black, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blacked; p. pr. & vb. n. Blacking. ] Etym: [See Black, a., and cf. Blacken. ]
1. To make black; to blacken; to soil; to sully. They have their teeth blacked, both men and women, for they say a dog hath his teeth white, therefore they will black theirs. Hakluyt. Sins which black thy soul. J. Fletcher.
2. To make black and shining, as boots or a stove, by applying blacking and then polishing with a brush.
BLACKAMOOR
Black "a *moor, n. Etym: [Black + Moor. ]
Defn: A negro or negress. Shak.
BLACK ART
BLACK ART Black " art `.
Defn: The art practiced by conjurers and witches; necromancy; conjuration; magic.
Note: This name was given in the Middle Ages to necromancy, under the idea that the latter term was derived from niger black, instead of nekro `s, a dead person, and mantei `a, divination. Wright.
BLACK-A-VISED
BLACK-A-VISED Black "-a-vised `, a.
Defn: Dark-visaged; swart.
BLACKBALL
BLACKBALL Black "ball `, n.
1. A composition for blacking shoes, boots, etc. ; also, one for taking impressions of engraved work.
2. A ball of black color, esp. one used as a negative in voting; -- in this sense usually two words.
BLACKBALL
Black "ball `, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackballed (; p. pr. & vb. n.Blackballing.]
1. To vote against, by putting a black ball into a ballot box; to reject or exclude, as by voting against with black balls; to ostracize. He was blackballed at two clubs in succession. Thackeray.
2. To blacken (leather, shoes, etc. ) with blacking.
BLACKBAND
BLACKBAND Black "band `, n. (Min. )
Defn: An earthy carbonate of iron containing considerable carbonaceous matter; -- valuable as an iron ore.
BLACK BASS
BLACK BASS Black " bass `. (Zoöl.)
1. An edible, fresh-water fish of the United States, of the genus Micropterus. the small-mouthed kind is M. dolomiei; the largemouthed is M. salmoides.
2. The sea bass. See Blackfish, 3.
BLACKBERRY
Black "ber *ry, n. Etym: [OE. blakberye, AS. blæcerie; blæc black +berie berry. ]
Defn: The fruit of several species of bramble (Rubus ); also, the plant itself. Rubus fruticosus is the blackberry of England; R. villosus and R. Canadensis are the high blackberry and low blackberry of the United States. There are also other kinds.
BLACKBIRD
BLACKBIRD Black "bird, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: In England, a species of thrush (Turdus merula ), a singing bird with a fin note; the merle. In America the name is given to several birds, as the Quiscalus versicolor, or crow blackbird; the Agelæus phoeniceus, or red-winged blackbird; the cowbird; the rusty grackle, etc. See Redwing.
BLACKBIRDER
BLACKBIRDER Black "bird *er, n.
Defn: A slave ship; a slaver. [Colloq. ] F. T. Bullen.
BLACKBIRDING
BLACKBIRDING Black "bird *ing, n.
1. The kidnaping of negroes or Polynesians to be sold as slaves.
2. The act or practice of collecting natives of the islands near Queensland for service on the Queensland sugar plantations. [Australia ]
BLACKBOARD
BLACKBOARD Black "board `, n.
Defn: A broad board painted black, or any black surface on which writing, drawing, or the working of mathematical problems can be done with chalk or crayons. It is much used in schools.
BLACK BOOK
BLACK BOOK Black " book `.
1. One of several books of a political character, published at different times and for different purposes; -- so called either from the color of the binding, or from the character of the contents.
2. A book compiled in the twelfth century, containing a description of the court of exchequer of England, an official statement of the revenues of the crown, etc.
3. A book containing details of the enormities practiced in the English monasteries and religious houses, compiled by order of their visitors under Henry VIII., to hasten their dissolution.
4. A book of admiralty law, of the highest authority, compiled in the reign of Edw. III. Bouvier. Wharton.
5. A book kept for the purpose of registering the names of persons liable to censure or punishment, as in the English universities, or the English armies.
6. Any book which treats of necromancy.
BLACK-BROWED
BLACK-BROWED Black "-browed `, a.
Defn: Having black eyebrows. Hence: Gloomy; dismal; threatening; forbidding. Shak. Dryden.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
Black *bur "ni *an war "bler. Etym: [Named from Mrs. Blackburn, an English lady. ] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A beautiful warbler of the United States (Dendroica Blackburniæ ). The male is strongly marked with orange, yellow, and black on the head and neck, and has an orange-yellow breast.
BLACKCAP
BLACKCAP Black "cap `, n.
1. (Zoöl.) (a ) A small European song bird (Sylvia atricapilla ), with a black crown; the mock nightingale. (b ) An American titmouse (Parus atricapillus ); the chickadee.
2. (Cookery )
Defn: An apple roasted till black, to be served in a dish of boiled custard.
3. The black raspberry.
BLACKCOAT
BLACKCOAT Black "coat `, n.
Defn: A clergyman; -- familiarly so called, as a soldier is sometimes called a redcoat or a bluecoat.
BLACKCOCK
BLACKCOCK Black "cock `, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The male of the European black grouse (Tetrao tetrix, Linn. ); - - so called by sportsmen. The female is called gray hen. See Heath grouse.
BLACK DEATH
BLACK DEATH Black " death `.
Defn: A pestilence which ravaged Europe and Asia in the fourteenth century.
BLACKEN
Black "en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackened; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackening.]Etym: [See Black, a., and cf. Black, v. t. ]
1. To make or render black. While the long funerals blacken all the way. Pope
2. To make dark; to darken; to cloud. "Blackened the whole heavens." South.
3. To defame; to sully, as reputation; to make infamous; as, vice blackens the character.
Syn. -- To denigrate; defame; vilify; slander; calumniate; traduce; malign; asperse.
BLACKEN
BLACKEN Black "en, v. i.
Defn: To grow black or dark.
BLACKENER
BLACKENER Black "en *er, n.
Defn: One who blackens.
BLACK-EYED
BLACK-EYED Black "-eyed `, a.
Defn: Having black eyes. Dryden.
BLACK-EYED SUSAN
BLACK-EYED SUSAN Black "-eyed ` Su "san. (Bot. ) (a ) The coneflower, or yellow daisy (Rudbeckia hirta ). (b ) The bladder ketmie.
BLACK-FACED
BLACK-FACED Black "-faced `, a.
Defn: Having a black, dark, or gloomy face or aspect.
BLACKFEET
BLACKFEET Black "feet `, n. pl. (Ethn.)
Defn: A tribe of North American Indians formerly inhabiting the country from the upper Missouri River to the Saskatchewan, but now much reduced in numbers.
BLACKFIN
BLACKFIN Black "fin `, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Bluefin.
BLACKFISH
BLACKFISH Black "fish, n.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small kind of whale, of the genus Globicephalus, of several species. The most common is G. melas. Also sometimes applied to other whales of larger size.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The tautog of New England (Tautoga ).
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The black sea bass (Centropristis atrarius ) of the Atlantic coast. It is excellent food fish; -- locally called also black Harry.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of southern Europe (Centrolophus pompilus ) of the Mackerel family.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The female salmon in the spawning season.
Note: The name is locally applied to other fishes.
BLACK FLAGS
BLACK FLAGS Black Flags.
Defn: An organization composed originally of Chinese rebels that had been driven into Tonkin by the suppression of the Taiping rebellion, but later increased by bands of pirates and adventurers. It took a prominent part in fighting the French during their hostilities with Anam, 1873 -85.
BLACKFOOT
BLACKFOOT Black "foot `, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Blackfeet; as, a Blackfoot Indian. -- n.
Defn: A Blackfoot Indian.
BLACK FRIAR
BLACK FRIAR Black " fri `ar. (Eccl.)
Defn: A friar of the Dominican order; -- called also predicant and preaching friar; in France, Jacobin. Also, sometimes, a Benedictine.
BLACK FRIDAY
BLACK FRIDAY Black Friday.
Defn: Any Friday on which a public disaster has occurred, as: In England, December 6, 1745, when the news of the landing of the Pretender reached London, or May 11, 1866, when a financial panic commenced. In the United States, September 24, 1869, and September 18, 1873, on which financial panics began.
BLACKGUARD
Black "guard, n. Etym: [Black + guard. ]
1. The scullions and lower menials of a court, or of a nobleman's household, who, in a removal from one residence to another, had charge of the kitchen utensils, and being smutted by them, were jocularly called the "black guard "; also, the servants and hangers-on of an army. [Obs. ] A lousy slave, that. .. rode with the black guard in the duke's carriage, 'mongst spits and dripping pans. Webster (1612 ).
2. The criminals and vagrants or vagabonds of a town or community, collectively. [Obs. ]
3. A person of stained or low character, esp. one who uses scurrilous language, or treats others with foul abuse; a scoundrel; a rough. A man whose manners and sentiments are decidedly below those of his class deserves to be called a blackguard. Macaulay.
4. A vagrant; a bootblack; a gamin. [Obs. ]
BLACKGUARD
Black "guard `, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackguarded; p. pr. & vb. n.Blackguarding.]
Defn: To revile or abuse in scurrilous language. Southey.
BLACKGUARD
BLACKGUARD Black "guard, a.
Defn: Scurrilous; abusive; low; worthless; vicious; as, blackguard language.
BLACKGUARDISM
BLACKGUARDISM Black "guard *ism, n.
Defn: The conduct or language of a blackguard; rufflanism.
BLACKGUARDLY
BLACKGUARDLY Black "guard *ly, adv. & a.
Defn: In the manner of or resembling a blackguard; abusive; scurrilous; ruffianly.
BLACK HAMBURG
BLACK HAMBURG Black Ham "burg.
Defn: A sweet and juicy variety of European grape, of a dark purplish black color, much grown under glass in northern latitudes.
BLACK HAND
BLACK HAND Black Hand. [A trans. of Sp. mano negra. ]
1.
Defn: A Spanish anarchistic society, many of the members of which were imprisoned in 1883.
2. A lawless or blackmailing secret society, esp. among Italians. [U. S.]
BLACKHEAD
BLACKHEAD Black "head `, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The scaup duck.
BLACKHEART
BLACKHEART Black "heart `, n.
Defn: A heart-shaped cherry with a very dark-colored skin.
BLACK-HEARTED
BLACK-HEARTED Black "-heart `ed, a.
Defn: Having a wicked, malignant disposition; morally bad.
BLACK HOLE
BLACK HOLE Black " hole `.
Defn: A dungeon or dark cell in a prison; a military lock-up or guardroom; -- now commonly with allusion to the cell (the Black Hole ) in a fort at Calcutta, into which 146 English prisoners were thrust by the nabob Suraja Dowla on the night of June 2 , 17656, and in which 123 of the prisoners died before morning from lack of air. A discipline of unlimited autocracy, upheld by rods, and ferules, and the black hole. H. Spencer.
BLACKING
BLACKING Black "ing, n.
1. Any preparation for making things black; esp. one for giving a black luster to boots and shoes, or to stoves.
2. The act or process of making black.
BLACKISH
BLACKISH Black "ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat black.
BLACK-JACK
BLACK-JACK Black "-jack `, n.
1. (Min. )
Defn: A name given by English miners to sphalerite, or zinc blende; - - called also false galena. See Blende.
2. Caramel or burnt sugar, used to color wines, spirits, ground coffee, etc.
3. A large leather vessel for beer, etc. [Obs. ]
4. (Bot. )
Defn: The Quercus nigra, or barren oak.
5. The ensign of a pirate.
BLACK LEAD
BLACK LEAD Black ` lead ".
Defn: Plumbago; graphite. It leaves a blackish mark somewhat like lead. See Graphite.
BLACKLEAD
BLACKLEAD Black `lead ", v. t.
Defn: To coat or to polish with black lead.
BLACKLEG
BLACKLEG Black "leg `, n.
1. A notorious gambler. [Colloq. ]
2. A disease among calves and sheep, characterized by a settling of gelatinous matter in the legs, and sometimes in the neck. [Eng. ]
BLACK LETTER
BLACK LETTER Black " let `ter.
Defn: The old English or Gothic letter, in which the Early English manuscripts were written, and the first English books were printed. It was conspicuous for its blackness. See Type.
BLACK-LETTER
BLACK-LETTER Black "-let `ter, a.
1. Written or printed in black letter; as, a black-letter manuscript or book.
2. Given to the study of books in black letter; that is, of old books; out of date. Kemble, a black-letter man! J. Boaden.
3. Of or pertaining to the days in the calendar not marked with red letters as saints' days. Hence: Unlucky; inauspicious.
BLACKLIST
BLACKLIST Black "list `, v. t.
Defn: To put in a black list as deserving of suspicion, censure, or punishment; esp. to put in a list of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, -- as tradesmen and employers do for mutual protection; as, to blacklist a workman who has been discharged. See Black list, under Black, a. If you blacklist us, we will boycott you. John Swinton.
BLACKLY
BLACKLY Black "ly, adv.
Defn: In a black manner; darkly, in color; gloomily; threateningly; atrociously. "Deeds so blackly grim and horrid. " Feltham.
BLACKMAIL
Black "mail `, n. Etym: [Black + mail a piece of money. ]
1. A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage. Sir W. Scott.
2. Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
3. (Eng. Law )
Defn: Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to "white rent ", which paid in silver. To levy blackmail, to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation.
BLACKMAIL
Black "mail `, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackmailed; p. pr. & vb. n.Blackmailing. ]
Defn: To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc. ; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud. [U. S.]
BLACKMAILER
BLACKMAILER Black "mail `er, n.
Defn: One who extorts, or endeavors to extort, money, by black mailing.
BLACKMAILING
BLACKMAILING Black "mail `ing, n.
Defn: The act or practice of extorting money by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation.
BLACK MONDAY
BLACK MONDAY Black " Mon `day.
1. Easter Monday, so called from the severity of that day in 136 , which was so unusual that many of Edward III.'s soldiers, then before Paris, died from the cold. Stow. Then it was not for nothing that may nose fell a bleeding on Black Monday last. Shak.
2. The first Monday after the holidays; -- so called by English schoolboys. Halliwell.
BLACK MONK
BLACK MONK Black " monk `.
Defn: A Benedictine monk.
BLACKMOOR
BLACKMOOR Black "moor, n.
Defn: See Blackamoor.
BLACK-MOUTHED
BLACK-MOUTHED Black "-mouthed `, a.
Defn: Using foul or scurrilous language; slanderous.
BLACKNESS
BLACKNESS Black "ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being black; black color; atrociousness or enormity in wickedness. They're darker now than blackness. Donne.
BLACKPOLL
Black "poll `, n. Etym: [Black + poll head. ] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A warbler of the United States (Dendroica striata ).
BLACK PUDDING
BLACK PUDDING Black " pud "ding.
Defn: A kind of sausage made of blood, suet, etc. , thickened with meal. And fat black puddings, -- proper food, For warriors that delight in blood. Hudibras.
BLACK ROD
BLACK ROD Black " Rod `.(a ) the usher to the Chapter of the Garter, so called from the black rod which he carries. He is of the king's chamber, and also usher to the House of Lords. [Eng. ] (b ) An usher in the legislature of British colonies. Cowell.Committed to the custody of the Black Rod. Macaulay.
BLACKROOT
BLACKROOT Black "root `, n. (Bot. )
Defn: See Colicroot.
BLACKS
BLACKS Blacks, n. pl.
1. The name of a kind of in used in copperplate printing, prepared from the charred husks of the grape, and residue of the wine press.
2. Soot flying in the air. [Eng. ]
3. Black garments, etc. See Black, n., 4.
BLACKSALTER
BLACKSALTER Black "salt `er, n.
Defn: One who, makes crude potash, or black salts.
BLACK SALTS
BLACK SALTS Black " salts `.
Defn: Crude potash. De Colange.
BLACKSMITH
Black "smith `, n. Etym: [Black (in allusion to the color of the metal )+ smith. Cf. Whitesmith. ]
1. A smith who works in iron with a forge, and makes iron utensils, horseshoes, etc. The blacksmith may forge what he pleases. Howell.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of the Pacific coast (Chromis, or Heliastes, punctipinnis ), of a blackish color.
BLACK SNAKE; BLACKSNAKE
BLACK SNAKE; BLACKSNAKE Black " snake ` or Black "snake, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A snake of a black color, of which two species are common in the United States, the Bascanium constrictor, or racer, sometimes six feet long, and the Scotophis Alleghaniensis, seven or eight feet long.
Note: The name is also applied to various other black serpents, as Natrix atra of Jamaica.
BLACK SPANISH
BLACK SPANISH Black Spanish.
Defn: One of an old and well-known Mediterranean breed of domestic fowls with glossy black plumage, blue legs and feet, bright red comb and wattles, and white face. They are remarkable as egg layers.
BLACKSTRAP
BLACKSTRAP Black "strap `, n.
1. A mixture of spirituous liquor (usually rum ) and molasses. No blackstrap to-night; switchel, or ginger pop. Judd.
2. Bad port wine; any commo wine of the Mediterranean; -- so called by sailors.
BLACKTAIL
Black "tail `, n. Etym: [Black + tail. ]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish; the ruff or pope.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The black-tailed deer (Cervus or Cariacus Columbianus ) of California and Oregon; also, the mule deer of the Rocky Mountains. See Mule deer.
BLACKTHORN
BLACKTHORN Black "thorn `, n. (Bot. )(a ) A spreading thorny shrub or small tree (Prunus spinosa ), with blackish bark, and bearing little black plums, which are called sloes; the sloe. (b ) A species of Cratægus or hawthorn (C. tomentosa ). Both are used for hedges.
BLACK VOMIT
BLACK VOMIT Black " vom "it. (Med. )
Defn: A copious vomiting of dark-colored matter; or the substance so discharged; -- one of the most fatal symptoms in yellow fever.
BLACK WASH; BLACKWASH
BLACK WASH; BLACKWASH Black " wash ` or Black "wash, n.
1. (Med. )
Defn: A lotion made by mixing calomel and lime water.
2. A wash that blackens, as opposed to whitewash; hence, figuratively, calumny. To remove as far as he can the modern layers of black wash, and let the man himself, fair or foul, be seen. C. Kingsley.
BLACKWATER STATE
BLACKWATER STATE Black "wa `ter State.
Defn: Nebraska; -- a nickname alluding to the dark color of the water of its rivers, due to the presence of a black vegetable mold in the soil.
BLACKWOOD
BLACKWOOD Black "wood, n.
Defn: A name given to several dark-colored timbers. The East Indian black wood is from the tree Dalbergia latifolia. Balfour.
BLACKWORK
BLACKWORK Black "work `, n.
Defn: Work wrought by blacksmiths; -- so called in distinction from that wrought by whitesmiths. Knight.
New American Oxford Dictionary
black
black |blak blæk | ▶adjective 1 of the very darkest color; the opposite of white; colored like coal, due to the absence of or complete absorption of light: black smoke | her hair was black. • (of the sky or night ) completely dark due to nonvisibility of the sun, moon, or stars, normally because of dense cloud cover: the sky was moonless and black. • deeply stained with dirt: his clothes were absolutely black. • (of a plant or animal ) dark in color as distinguished from a lighter variety: Japanese black pine. • (of coffee or tea ) served without milk or cream. • of or denoting the suits spades and clubs in a deck of cards. • (of a ski run ) of the highest level of difficulty, as indicated by black markers positioned along it. 2 (also Black ) of any human group having dark-colored skin, esp. of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry: black adolescents of Jamaican descent. • of or relating to black people: black culture. 3 (of a period of time or situation ) characterized by tragic or disastrous events; causing despair or pessimism: five thousand men were killed on the blackest day of the war | the future looks black for those of us interested in freedom. • (of a person's state of mind ) full of gloom or misery; very depressed: Jean had disappeared and Mary was in a black mood. • (of humor ) presenting tragic or harrowing situations in comic terms: “Good place to bury the bodies,” she joked with black humor. • full of anger or hatred: Roger shot her a black look. • archaic very evil or wicked: my soul is steeped in the blackest sin. ▶noun 1 black color or pigment: a tray decorated in black and green | a series of paintings done only in grays and blacks. • black clothes or material, often worn as a sign of mourning: dressed in the black of widowhood. • darkness, esp. of night or an overcast sky: the only thing visible in the black was the light of the lantern. 2 (also Black ) a member of a dark-skinned people, esp. one of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry: a coalition of blacks and whites against violence. 3 (in a game or sport ) a black piece or ball, in particular: • (often Black ) the player of the black pieces in chess or checkers. • the black pieces in chess. ▶verb [ with obj. ] make black, esp. by the application of black polish: blacking the prize bull's hooves. • make (one's face, hands, and other visible parts of one's body ) black with polish or makeup, so as not to be seen at night or, esp. formerly, to play the role of a black person in a musical show, play, or movie: white extras blacking up their faces to play Ethiopians. PHRASES black someone's eye hit someone in the eye so as to cause bruising. in the black (of a person or organization ) not owing any money; solvent. look on the black side informal view a situation pessimistically. men in black informal anonymous dark-clothed men who supposedly visit people who have reported an encounter with a UFO or an alien in order to prevent their publicizing it. the new black a color that is currently so popular that it rivals the traditional status of black as the most reliably fashionable color: brown is the new black this season. • something that is suddenly extremely popular or fashionable: retro sci-fi is the new black. not as black as one is painted informal not as bad as one is said to be. PHRASAL VERBS black out (of a person ) undergo a sudden and temporary loss of consciousness: they knocked me around and I blacked out. black something out 1 (usu. be blacked out ) extinguish all lights or completely cover windows, esp. for protection against an air attack or in order to provide darkness in which to show a movie: the bombers began to come nightly and the city was blacked out. • subject a place to an electricity failure: Chicago was blacked out yesterday after a freak flood. 2 obscure something completely so that it cannot be read or seen: the license plate had been blacked out with masking tape. • (of a television company ) suppress the broadcast of a program: they blacked out the women's finals on local television. DERIVATIVES black ish adjective, black ly adverb, black ness noun ORIGIN Old English blæc, of Germanic origin. usage: Black, designating Americans of African heritage, became the most widely used and accepted term in the 1960s and 1970s, replacing Negro. It is not usually capitalized: black Americans. Through the 1980s, the more formal African American replaced black in much usage, but both are now generally acceptable. Afro-American, first recorded in the 19th century and popular in the 1960s and 1970s, is now heard mostly in anthropological and cultural contexts. Colored people, common in the early part of the 20th century, is now usually regarded as offensive, although the phrase survives in the full name of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. An inversion, people of color, has gained some favor, but is also used in reference to other nonwhite ethnic groups: a gathering spot for African Americans and other people of color interested in reading about their cultures. See also usage at colored and person of color .
Black, Hugo
Black, Hugo |blak blæk | (1886 –1971 ), US Supreme Court associate justice 1937 –71; full name Hugo Lafayette Black. Noted as an advocate of First Amendment rights, he was also a US senator from Alabama 1927 –37.
Black, Joseph
Black, Joseph |ˈblæk blak | (1728 –99 ), Scottish chemist. He developed accurate techniques for following chemical reactions by weighing reactants and products.
black Africa
black Af ri ca the area of Africa, generally south of the Sahara, where black people predominate.
blackamoor
black a moor |ˈblakəˌmo͝or ˈblækəˌmɔ (ə )r | ▶noun dated, offensive a black African; a very dark-skinned person. ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from black + Moor .
black and blue
black and blue ▶adjective discolored by bruising: a black-and-blue mark on his arm. • (of a person ) covered in bruises: they were both black and blue the day after the accident.
black and tan
black and tan |blæk ænd | ▶noun 1 a terrier of a breed with a black back and tan markings on face, flanks, and legs. 2 a drink composed of stout (or porter ) and ale. 3 informal an event or establishment that is attended or frequented by both blacks and whites: takes this guy out to the black and tan every night | [ as modifier ] : a black and tan nightclub.
Black and Tans
Black and Tans an armed force recruited by the British government to fight Sinn Fein in Ireland in 1920 –21. Their harsh methods caused an outcry in Britain and the US. ORIGIN so named because of the mixture of military khaki and black constabulary colors of their uniform.
black and white
black and white ▶adjective 1 (of a photograph, movie, television program, or illustration ) in black, white, shades of gray, and no other color: old black-and-white movies. • (of a television ) displaying images only in black, white, and shades of gray. 2 (of a situation or debate ) involving clearly defined opposing principles or issues: there is nothing black and white about these matters. ▶noun informal a police car. PHRASES in black and white 1 in writing or in print, and regarded as more reliable, credible, or formal than by word of mouth: getting her contract down in black and white. 2 in terms of clearly defined opposing principles or issues: children think in black and white, good and bad.
Black Angus
Black An gus ▶noun another term for Aberdeen Angus.
black ant
black ant ▶noun an ant that is black and is often found in and around houses. [Several species in the family Formicidae. ]
black art
black art ▶noun (usu. the black art ) another term for black magic. • often humorous a technique or practice considered mysterious and sinister: the black art of political news management.
blackball
black ball |ˈblakˌbôl ˈblækˌbɔl | ▶verb [ with obj. ] reject (someone, usually a candidate applying to become a member of a private club ), typically by means of a secret ballot: her husband was blackballed when he tried to join the country club. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from the practice of registering an adverse vote by placing a black ball in a ballot box.
black ban
black ban ▶noun Austral. a mass refusal to supply or purchase goods or services in an attempt to force a particular decision or action.
black bass
black bass |bas ˌblæk ˈbæs | ▶noun a North American freshwater fish of the sunfish family. It is a popular sporting and food fish. [Genus Micropterus, family Centrarchidae: several species, in particular the largemouth bass (M. salmoides ) and the smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui ).]
black bean
black bean ▶noun 1 either of two cultivated varieties of bean plant having small black seeds. [● a variety of soybean, used fermented in Asian cooking. ● a Mexican variety of string bean. ] • the dried seed of such a plant used as a vegetable. 2 either of two Australian plants of the pea family. [● a large tree with red or yellow flowers, dark beanlike seeds, and a hard and decorative wood (Castanospermum australe, family Leguminosae ). ● a liana with blackish flowers (Kennedia nigricans, family Leguminosae ).]
black bear
black bear ▶noun a medium-sized forest-dwelling bear with blackish fur and a paler face, found in North America and eastern Asia. [Two species, family Ursidae: the American black bear (Ursus americanus ), with a wide range of coat color, and the smaller Asian black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus ).]
Blackbeard
Black beard |ˈblakˌbi (ə )rd ˈblækbɪərd | (died 1718 ), English pirate; real name Edward Teach. Originally a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession 1701 –14, he turned to piracy and concentrated on the West Indies and the Virginia –North Carolina coast of America.
black beetle
black bee ¦tle ▶noun Brit. informal the common cockroach.
Black Belt
Black Belt an agricultural district in central Alabama and Mississippi, named for its rich soils.
black belt
black belt |ˈblæk ˈˌbɛlt | ▶noun a black belt worn by an expert in judo, karate, and other martial arts. • a person qualified to wear this.
BlackBerry
Black Ber ry |ˈblakˌberē ˈblækbɛri | ▶noun trademark a handheld wireless electronic device that provides Internet access along with e-mail, telephone, and text messaging services.
blackberry
black ber ry |ˈblakˌberē ˈblækberi | ▶noun ( pl. blackberries ) 1 an edible soft fruit, consisting of a cluster of soft purple-black drupelets. 2 the prickly climbing shrub of the rose family that bears this fruit and that grows extensively in the wild. [Rubus fruticosus, family Rosaceae (sometimes treated as an aggregate of many species ).] ▶verb ( blackberries, blackberrying, blackberried ) [ no obj. ] (usu. as noun blackberrying ) gather blackberries in the wild.
black bile
black bile ▶noun (in medieval science and medicine ) one of the four bodily humors, believed to be associated with a melancholy temperament. Also called melancholy. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: translation of Greek melankholia (see melancholy ). Compare with atrabilious .
black bindweed
black bind weed ▶noun a twining weed of the dock family, with arrowhead-shaped leaves and small greenish flowers. [Polygonum convolvulus, family Polygonaceae. ]
black birch
black birch ▶noun another term for sweet birch.
blackbird
black bird |ˈblakˌbərd ˈblækˌbərd | ▶noun 1 a European thrush with mainly black plumage. [Genus Turdus, subfamily Turdinae, family Muscicapidae: four species, in particular T. merula, the male of which has all-black plumage and a yellow bill. ] 2 an American bird with a strong pointed bill. The male has black plumage that is iridescent or has patches of red or yellow. [Family Icteridae: several genera and species, including the abundant red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus ).]
blackboard
black board |ˈblakˌbôrd ˈblækˌbɔ (ə )rd | ▶noun a large board with a smooth, typically dark, surface attached to a wall or supported on an easel and used for writing on with chalk, esp. by teachers in schools.
black body
black body ▶noun Physics a hypothetical perfect absorber and radiator of energy, with no reflecting power.
black book
black book ▶noun a book containing a list of secret contacts, or of the names of people liable to be punished: he lists his sexual conquests in his little black book .
black bottom
black bot tom |blækˈbɒtəm | ▶noun a popular US dance of the 1920s.
black bottom pie
black bot tom pie ▶noun pie with a bottom layer of chocolate cream or custard and a contrasting top layer, usually of whipped cream.
black box
black box |ˈˌblæk ˈbɑks | ▶noun a flight recorder in an aircraft. • any complex piece of equipment, typically a unit in an electronic system, with contents that are mysterious to the user.
blackboy
black |boy |ˈblakbɔɪ | ▶noun an Australian tree or erect shrub with long, stiff grass-like leaves. Flowering in some species is stimulated by fire. Also called grass tree. ●Genus Xanthorrhoea, family Xanthorrhoeaceae: several species, including a tree (X. preissii ) with a thick dark trunk and a palm-like crown of leaves, and a shrub (X. australis ) with a short buried trunk and leaves on the surface of the ground.
black bread
black bread ▶noun a coarse, dark-colored type of rye bread.
black bryony
black bry o ny ▶noun see bryony ( sense 2 ).
blackbuck
black buck |ˈblakˌbək ˈblækbək | ▶noun a small Indian gazelle, the horned male of which has a black back and white underbelly, the female being hornless. [Antilope cervicapra, family Bovidae. ]
black bulgar
black bul ¦gar ▶noun a cup-shaped stemless black fungus which grows on the fallen trunks and branches of broadleaved trees in Europe. ●Bulgaria inquinans, family Helotiaceae, subdivision Ascomycotina.
black bun
black bun ▶noun [ mass noun ] rich fruit cake in a pastry case, traditionally eaten in Scotland at New Year.
Blackburn
Black burn |ˈblakbərn ˈblækbərn | an industrial town in northwestern England; pop. 104,100 (est. 2009 ).
blackbutt
black |butt ▶noun a tall straight-trunked Australian eucalyptus tree, typically with fire-charred fibrous bark on the lower trunk and with pale brown timber. ●Eucalyptus pilularis, family Myrtaceae. ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from black + butt 3 in the sense ‘tree trunk ’.
black butter
black but ter |blæk ˈbədər | ▶noun a sauce made by heating butter until it is dark brown. It is often flavored with vinegar and herbs.
blackcap
black cap |ˈblakˌkap ˈblækˌkæp | ▶noun 1 a mainly European warbler with a black cap in the male and a reddish-brown one in the female. [Sylvia atricapilla, family Sylviidae. ] 2 the black-capped chickadee. See chickadee.
black caucus
black cau cus ▶noun a political caucus composed of black people interested in advancing the concerns of blacks. • (Black Caucus ) a caucus of this kind composed of black members of the US Congress.
black cherry
black cher ry ▶noun a large North American cherry tree that yields valuable close-grained hard wood. [Prunus serotina, family Rosaceae. ] • the bitter blackish fruit of this tree, sometimes used for jellies and regularly eaten by wild birds and animals.
blackcock
black cock |ˈblakˌkäk ˈblækˌkɑk | ▶noun ( pl. same ) the male of the black grouse.
black cohosh
black co hosh |ˈkōhäSH blæk ˈkoʊhɑʃ | ▶noun see cohosh.
black consciousness
black con scious ness ▶noun awareness of one's identity as a black person. • a political movement or ideology (particularly in the US and South Africa ) seeking to unite black people in affirming their common identity.
Black Country
Black Country a district of the English Midlands with much heavy industry.
black currant
black cur rant ▶noun (Brit. blackcurrant ) 1 a small round edible black berry that grows in loose hanging clusters. 2 the shrub that produces this fruit. [Genus Ribes, family Grossulariaceae: several species, in particular the widely cultivated Ribes nigrum. ]
blackdamp
black damp |ˈblakˌdamp ˈblækdæmp | ▶noun choking or suffocating gas, typically carbon dioxide, that is found in mines and other underground spaces.
Black Death
Black Death |ˈˌblæk ˈdɛθ | the great epidemic of bubonic plague that killed a large part of the population of Europe in the mid 14th century. It originated in central Asia and China and spread rapidly through Europe, carried by the fleas of black rats, reaching England in 1348 and killing between one third and one half of the population in a matter of months. ORIGIN a modern term (compare with earlier the (great ) pestilence, great death, the plague ), said to have been introduced into English history by Mrs. Markham (pseudonym of Mrs. Penrose ) in 1823, and into medical literature by a translation of German der Schwarze Tod (1833 ). The epithet Black is of uncertain origin; its equivalent was first found in Swedish and Danish chroniclers.
black diamond
black dia mond |blæk ˈdaɪ (ə )mənd | ▶noun 1 informal a lump of coal. 2 [ usu. as modifier ] a difficult ski slope: a steep, black diamond run. 3 another term for carbonado.
black dog
black dog ▶noun informal used as a metaphor for melancholy or depression: I'm very happy, but the black dog is there, lurking around the corner. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: figuratively from a cant name used during Queen Anne's reign (1702 –14 ) for a base silver coin (usually a bad shilling ).
black duck
black duck ▶noun a duck with black plumage, esp. the American black duck (Anas rubripes ) of northeastern North America.
black durgon
black durgon |ˈdəːg (ə )n | ▶noun a black triggerfish that occurs worldwide in tropical seas. ●Melichthys niger, family Balistidae. ORIGIN mid 20th cent.: durgon perhaps from English dialect durgan or durgen ‘undersized person or animal ’.
black economy
black econ |omy ▶noun Brit. the part of a country's economic activity which is unrecorded and untaxed by its government.
blacken
black en |ˈblakən ˈblækən | ▶verb become or make black or dark, esp. as a result of burning, decay, or bruising: [ no obj. ] : he set fire to the paper, watching the end blacken as it burned | [ with obj. ] : she blackened George's eye before he knew what had happened | (as adj. blackened ) : her smile revealed blackened teeth. • [ with obj. ] dye or color (the face or hair ) black for camouflage or cosmetic effect: in full combat gear with blackened faces. • [ with obj. ] damage or destroy (someone's good reputation ); defame: she won't thank you for blackening her husband's name.
black English
black Eng lish ▶noun any of various nonstandard forms of English spoken by black people, esp. as an urban dialect in the US.
Blackett, Patrick
Black ett, Patrick |ˈblakit ˈblækət |, Baron (1897 –1974 ), English physicist; full name Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett. He was a member of the Maud Committee, which dealt with the development of the atom bomb. He also modified the cloud chamber for the study of cosmic rays. Nobel Prize for Physics (1948 ).
black eye
black eye |ˌblæk ˈaɪ | ▶noun 1 a bruised and discolored area around the eye resulting from a blow: it's gonna be a doozy of a black eye. 2 a mark or source of dishonor or shame: legislators have caused the state to suffer yet another black eye.
black-eyed pea
black-eyed pea |blækaɪdˈpiː | ▶noun another term for cowpea.
black-eyed Susan
black-eyed Su san ▶noun any of a number of flowers that have yellowish petals and a dark center, in particular: [● a daisylike North American flower with bristly leaves and stems (Rudbeckia hirta and its hybrids, family Compositae ). ● a slender tropical climber, grown as a popular indoor or greenhouse plant (Thunbergia alata, family Acanthaceae ).]
blackface
black face |ˈblakˌfās ˈblækfeɪs | ▶noun the makeup used by a nonblack performer playing a black role. The role played is typically comedic or musical and usually is considered offensive: he appeared in blackface | [ as modifier ] : the blackface components of the minstrel era. • used to imply patronization of blacks by whites or by institutions perceived to be insincerely or ineffectively nonracist.
blackfellow
black |fel ¦low |ˈblakˌfɛləʊ | ▶noun Austral. offensive an Aboriginal.
black-figure
black-figure ▶noun [ usu. as modifier ] a type of ancient Greek pottery, originating in Corinth in the 7th century bc, in which figures are painted in black, details being added by incising through to the red clay background: a black-figure amphora. Compare with red-figure.
blackfish
black fish |ˈblakˌfiSH ˈblækˌfɪʃ | ▶noun ( pl. same or blackfishes ) 1 any of a number of dark-colored fish, in particular: [● an open-ocean fish related to the perches (genera Centrolophus and Schedophilus, family Centrolophidae ), in particular the large and widespread C. niger. ● ( Alaska blackfish ) a small fish occurring along the Arctic coasts of Alaska and Siberia, noted for its ability to withstand freezing (Dallia pectoralis, family Umbridae ). ● ( river blackfish ) a large fish of Australian rivers (Gadopsis marmoratus, family Gadopsidae ). ● a salmon just after spawning. ] 2 another term for pilot whale.
black flag
black flag |blæk flæɡ | ▶noun 1 historical a pirate's ensign, typically thought to feature a white skull and crossbones on a black background; Jolly Roger. 2 Auto Racing a black flag used to signal a driver to make an immediate pit stop as punishment for violating a rule or driving dangerously, or to force inspection of a hazardous condition such as an oil leak.
black fly
black fly ▶noun ( pl. black flies ) 1 a small black fly, the female of which sucks blood and can transmit a number of serious human and animal diseases. Large swarms sometimes cause distress to livestock and humans. [Family Simuliidae: Simulium and other genera. ] 2 a black or dark green aphid that is a common pest of crops and gardens. [Several species in the family Aphididae, in particular Aphis fabae. ]
Blackfoot
Black foot |ˈblakˌfo͝ot ˈblækˌfʊt | ▶noun ( pl. same or Blackfeet ) 1 a member of a confederacy of North American Indian peoples of the northwestern plains. The Blackfoot confederacy comprised three closely related tribes: the Blackfeet proper, the Bloods, and the Piegan. 2 the Algonquian language of this people. 3 a subdivision of the Teton Sioux. ▶adjective of or relating to these peoples or the language of the Blackfeet proper.
Black Forest
Black For est a hilly wooded region of southwestern Germany that lies to the east of the Rhine River valley. German name Schwarzwald.
Black Forest cake
Black For est cake ▶noun a chocolate sponge cake with layers of morello cherries or cherry jam and whipped cream and topped with chocolate icing. ORIGIN Black Forest, a translation of German Schwarzwald, the name of a forested area in southwestern Germany.
Black Friar
Black Fri ar ▶noun a Dominican friar. ORIGIN early 16th cent.: so named because of the color of the order's habit.
Black Friday
Black Fri day ▶noun 1 (in the US ) the day after Thanksgiving, noted as the first day of traditional Christmas shopping, during which crowds of consumers are drawn to special offers by retailers. folks were lining up to buy $30 DVD players at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. 2 September 24, 1869. On this date, an attempt by a few speculators to corner the US gold market was thwarted when President Ulysses S. Grant released government gold for sale, making gold prices plummet and creating a panic in the stock market.
black frost
black frost ▶noun a dry, nonvisible killing frost that turns vegetation black.
black gold
black gold |blæk ɡoʊld | ▶noun informal petroleum.
black grouse
black grouse ▶noun ( pl. same ) a large Eurasian grouse, the male of which has glossy blue-black plumage and a lyre-shaped tail. The males display in communal leks. [Tetrao tetrix, family Tetraonidae (or Phasianidae ); the male is called a blackcock and the female a greyhen. ]
blackguard
black guard |ˈblagərd, ˈblakˌgärd ˈblækɡɑːrd | ▶noun dated a person, particularly a man, who behaves in a dishonorable or contemptible way. ▶verb [ with obj. ] dated abuse or disparage (someone ) scurrilously. DERIVATIVES black guard ly adjective ORIGIN early 16th cent. (originally as two words ): from black + guard. The term originally denoted a body of attendants or servants, esp. the menials who had charge of kitchen utensils, but the exact significance of the epithet ‘black ’ is uncertain. The sense ‘scoundrel, villain ’ dates from the mid 18th cent. , and was formerly considered highly offensive.
black guillemot
black guil le mot ▶noun a seabird of the auk family with black summer plumage and large white wing patches, breeding on the coasts of the Arctic and North Atlantic. [Cepphus grylle, family Alcidae. ]
black gum
black gum ▶noun another term for sourgum.
Black Hand
Black Hand ▶noun a secret criminal and terrorist society in New York during the early 20th century. • any similar society.
Black Hawk
Black Hawk (1767 –1838 ), American Indian leader, chief of the Sauk and Fox Indians; native name Makataimeshekiakiak. He fought to repossess Indian lands in the Black Hawk War 1832.
blackhead
black head |ˈblakˌhed ˈblækˌhɛd | ▶noun 1 a plug of sebum in a hair follicle, darkened by oxidation. 2 an infectious disease of turkeys producing discoloration of the head, caused by a protozoan.
Black Hills
Black Hills a mountain range in eastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. The highest point is Harney Peak (7,242 feet; 2,207 m ); Mount Rushmore is also part of this range.
black hole
black hole |ˈˌblæk ˈhoʊl | ▶noun Astronomy a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape. • informal a place where people or things, esp. money, disappear without trace: the moribund economy has been a black hole for federal funds | juveniles lost for good in the black hole of the criminal justice system. Black holes are probably formed when a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel and collapses under its own gravity. If the star is massive enough, no known force can counteract the increasing gravity, and it will collapse to a point of infinite density. Before this stage is reached, within a certain radius (the event horizon ), light itself becomes trapped and the object becomes invisible.
Black Hole of Calcutta
Black Hole of Cal cut ta a dungeon 20 feet (6 m ) square in Fort William, Calcutta (now Kolkata ), where perhaps as many as 146 English prisoners were confined overnight following the capture of Calcutta by the nawab of Bengal, in 1756. Only twenty-three of them were still alive the next morning.
black house
black house ▶noun a traditional single-storeyed Scottish house built of turf or mortarless stone, typically lacking a chimney and roofed with turf or thatch.
black ice
black ice |ˌblæk ˈaɪs | ▶noun a transparent coating of ice, found esp. on a road or other paved surface.
black information
black in |for |ma ¦tion ▶noun [ mass noun ] information held by banks, credit agencies, or other financial institutions about people who are considered bad credit risks.
blackjack
black jack |ˈblakˌjak ˈblækˌʤæk | ▶noun 1 a gambling card game in which players try to acquire cards with a face value as close as possible to 21 without going over. Also called twenty-one, vingt-et-un. 2 a short, leather-covered, typically lead-filled club with a flexible handle, used as a weapon. 3 historical a pirate's black ensign. 4 historical a tarred-leather container used for alcoholic drinks.
Black Jew
Black Jew ▶noun another term for Falasha.
black kite
black kite ▶noun a bird of prey with dark plumage and a slightly forked tail, feeding mainly by scavenging and found throughout much of the Old World. ●Milvus migrans, family Accipitridae.
black knight
black knight ▶noun Stock Exchange a person or company making an unwelcome takeover bid for another company. ORIGIN by association with white knight .
blacklead
black lead |ˈblakˌled ˈblæklɛd | ▶noun another term for graphite.
blackleg
black leg |ˈblakˌleg ˈblækˌlɛɡ | ▶noun 1 any of a number of plant diseases in which part of the stem blackens and decays, in particular: [● a fungal disease of cabbages and related plants (caused by Leptosphaeria, Pleospora, and other genera ). ● a bacterial disease of potatoes (caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica ).] 2 an acute infectious bacterial disease of cattle and sheep, causing necrosis in one or more legs. [This disease is caused by Clostridium chauvoei. ] 3 Brit. derogatory a strikebreaker. [the reason for the name remains unknown. ]
black letter
black let ter ▶noun an early, ornate, bold style of type, typically resembling Gothic.
black light
black light |blæk laɪt | ▶noun ultraviolet or infrared radiation, invisible to the eye.
blacklist
black list |ˈblakˌlist ˈblækˌlɪst | ▶noun a list of people or products viewed with suspicion or disapproval. ▶verb [ with obj. ] put (a person or product ) on such a list: workers were blacklisted after being quoted in the newspaper.
black locust
black lo cust ▶noun a North American tree with compound leaves and dense, hanging clusters of fragrant white flowers, widely grown as an ornamental. [Robinia pseudoacacia, family Leguminosae. ]
black lung
black lung |blæk ləŋ | ▶noun pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of coal dust.
black magic
black mag ic |ˈˌblæk ˈˌmæʤɪk | ▶noun magic involving the supposed invocation of evil spirits for evil purposes.
blackmail
black mail |ˈblakˌmāl ˈblækˌmeɪl | ▶noun the action, treated as a criminal offense, of demanding money from a person in return for not revealing compromising or injurious information about that person: they were acquitted of charges of blackmail. • money demanded in this way: we do not pay blackmail. • the use of threats or the manipulation of someone's feelings to force them to do something: out of fear, she submitted to Jim's emotional blackmail | they are trying to blackmail us with hunger. ▶verb [ with obj. ] demand money from (a person ) in return for not revealing compromising or injurious information about that person: trying to blackmail him for $400,000. • force (someone ) to do something by using threats or manipulating their feelings: he had blackmailed her into sailing with him. DERIVATIVES black mail er noun ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (denoting protection money levied by Scottish chiefs ): from black + obsolete mail ‘tribute, rent, ’ from Old Norse mál ‘speech, agreement. ’
black mamba
black mam ba ▶noun a highly venomous, slender, olive-brown to dark gray snake that moves with great speed and agility. Native to eastern and southern Africa, it is the largest poisonous snake on the continent. [Dendroaspis polylepis, family Elapidae. ]
Black Maria
Black Ma ri a |ˌblak məˈrīə blækməˈraɪə | ▶noun informal a police vehicle for transporting prisoners. ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: said to be named after a black woman, Maria Lee, who kept a boarding house in Boston and helped police in escorting drunk and disorderly customers to jail.
black mark
black mark |blæk mɑrk | ▶noun informal used to indicate that someone is remembered and regarded with disfavor: an arrest will be a black mark on your record | a black mark went down against him for turning down the job.
black market
black mar ket |ˈblæk ˈmɑrkət | ▶noun (the black market ) an illegal traffic or trade in officially controlled or scarce commodities: they planned to sell the meat on the black market | [ as modifier ] : black market currency trading. DERIVATIVES black mar ke teer (also black-marketeer ) noun, black-mar ke teer verb, black mar ket er noun
black mass
black mass |blæk mæs |(often Black Mass ) ▶noun a travesty of the Roman Catholic Mass in worship of Satan.
Black Mesa
Black Me sa an upland in northeastern Arizona, home to many of the Navajo. The Hopi live on extensions to the south.
black metal
black met al ▶noun a type of heavy metal music having lyrics that deal with Satan and the supernatural.
Black Monday
Black Mon day |blækˈmʌndeɪ | ▶noun Monday, October 19, 1987. On this date, the collapse of stock prices on Wall Street triggered similar declines in markets around the world.
black money
black mon ey ▶noun income illegally obtained or not declared for tax purposes.
Black Monk
Black Monk ▶noun a Benedictine monk. ORIGIN Middle English: so named because of the color of the order's habit.
Blackmore, R. D.
Black more, R. D. |ˈblakˌmôr ˈblækmɔr | (1825 –1900 ), English novelist and poet; full name Richard Doddridge Blackmore. He is noted for his romantic novel Lorna Doone (1869 ).
Black Mountains
Black Moun tains a range of the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina. Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,039 m ) is the high point.
Blackmun, Harry
Black mun, Harry |ˈblakmən ˈblækmən | (1908 –99 ), US Supreme Court associate justice 1970 –94; full name Harry Andrew Blackmun. He is noted as the author of Roe v. Wade, which ruled on the right to legal abortion in 1973.
Black Muslim
Black Mus lim |blæk ˈməzləm | ▶noun a member of the Nation of Islam .
black nationalism
black na tion al ism ▶noun the advocacy of separate national status for black people, esp. in the US. DERIVATIVES black na tion al ist noun
black-on-black
black-on-black ▶adjective designating harmful actions in which both the perpetrator and the victim are black: black-on-black violence.
black operations
black op er a tions (also black ops ) ▶plural noun covert military or political operations that may employ measures not generally authorized. the plan involved wiretapping, burglary, mail-opening, and other black operations.
blackout
black out |ˈblakˌout ˈblækˌaʊt | ▶noun 1 [ often with modifier ] a failure of electrical power supply: due to a power blackout, their hotel was in total darkness. • a period when all lights must be turned out or covered to prevent them being seen by the enemy during an air raid: people found it difficult to travel in the blackout | [ as modifier ] : she peered out through the blackout curtains. • (usu. blackouts ) dark curtains put up in windows to cover lights during an air raid. • a moment in the theater when the lights on stage are suddenly turned off. 2 a suppression of information, esp. one imposed on the media by government: there is a total information blackout on minority interests. • a period during which a particular activity is prohibited: there are no blackout days during the travel period. 3 a temporary loss of consciousness: she was suffering from blackouts.
black oyster plant
black oys ter plant ▶noun another term for scorzonera.
Black Panther
Black Pan ther |blækˈpænθə (r )| ▶noun a member of a militant political organization set up in the US in 1966 to fight for black rights.
black panther
black pan ther |blækˈpænθə (r )| ▶noun a leopard that has black fur rather than the typical spotted coat.
black pepper
black pep per |blæk ˈpɛpər | ▶noun the dried black berries of the pepper (see pepper ( sense 2 of the noun )), which are harvested while still green and unripe. Black pepper is widely used as a spice and a condiment and may be used whole (peppercorns ) or ground.
blackpoll
black poll |ˈblakˌpōl ˈblækpoʊl |(also blackpoll warbler ) ▶noun a North American warbler, the male of which has a black cap, white cheeks, and white underparts streaked with black. [Dendroica striata, subfamily Parulinae, family Emberizidae. ]
Blackpool
Black pool |ˈblakˌpo͞ol ˈblækpul | a seaside resort in northwestern England; pop. 142,600 (est. 2009 ).
black poplar
black pop lar ▶noun a Eurasian poplar with a blackish-brown trunk and arching lower branches. [Populus nigra, family Salicaceae. ]
black powder
black pow der ▶noun the original gunpowder, composed of charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur, now used chiefly in antique firearms and in fireworks.
Black Power
Black Pow er |ˈblæk ˈpaʊ (ə )r | ▶noun a movement in support of rights and political power for black people, esp. prominent in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
Black Prince
Black Prince (1330 –76 ), eldest son of Edward III of England; name given to Edward, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, most likely because of the black armor he wore when fighting. He was responsible for the British victory at Poitiers in 1356. He predeceased his father, and his son became King Richard II.
black pudding
black pud ding |blæk ˈpʊdɪŋ | ▶noun blood sausage.
black raspberry
black rasp ber ry ▶noun 1 an edible soft fruit related to the blackberry, consisting of a cluster of black drupelets. 2 the prickly arching shrub of the rose family that bears this fruit. [Rubus occidentalis, family Rosaceae. ]
black rat
black rat ▶noun a rat with dark fur, large ears, and a long tail. It is found throughout the world, being particularly common in the tropics, and is the chief host of the plague-transmitting flea. Also called roof rat. [Rattus rattus, family Muridae. ]
black rhinoceros
black rhi noc er os ▶noun a two-horned rhinoceros with a prehensile upper lip, found in Africa south of the Sahara. [Diceros bicornis, family Rhinocerotidae. ]
Black River
Black Riv er a river that flows southeast for 300 miles (480 km ) through Missouri and Arkansas, along the eastern edge of the Ozark Plateau.
Black Rod
Black Rod |ˌblæk ˈrɑd |(in full Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod ) ▶noun (in the UK ) the chief usher of the Lord Chamberlain's department of the royal household, who is also usher to the House of Lords. ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: so named because of the black wand carried as a symbol of office.
black rot
black rot ▶noun a disease of fruits and vegetables caused by bacteria or fungi, producing blackening, rotting, and shriveling.
black salsify
black sal si fy ▶noun another term for scorzonera.
Blacksburg
Blacks burg |ˈblaksˌbərg ˈblæksbərɡ | a town in southwestern Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains, home to Virginia Polytechnic Institute; pop. 41,796 (est. 2008 ).
Black Sea
Black Sea a tideless almost landlocked sea bounded by Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. It is connected to the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara.
black sheep
black sheep |ˈˌblæk ˈʃip | ▶noun informal a member of a family or group who is regarded as a disgrace to them: the black sheep of the family . ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from the proverb there is a black sheep in every flock .
blackshirt
black shirt |ˈblakˌSHərt ˈblækʃɜːrt | ▶noun a member of a fascist organization, in particular: • (in Italy ) a member of a paramilitary group founded by Mussolini. • (in Nazi Germany ) a member of the SS. ORIGIN 1920s: so named because of the color of the Italian Fascist uniform.
blacksmith
black smith |ˈblakˌsmiTH ˈblækˌsmɪθ | ▶noun a person who makes and repairs things in iron by hand. • a farrier.
black smoker
black smok er ▶noun Geology a geothermal vent on the seabed that ejects superheated water containing much suspended matter, typically black sulfide minerals.
blacksnake
black snake |ˈblakˌsnāk ˈblæksneɪk | ▶noun a long black American racer, esp. the common Northern blacksnake (Coluber constrictor constrictor ), the adult of which is a patternless black, above and below.
black spot
black spot |ˌblæk ˈspɑt | ▶noun a disease of plants, esp. of roses, producing black blotches on leaves.
Black Stone
Black Stone the sacred reddish-black stone built into the outside wall of the Kaaba and ritually touched by Muslim pilgrims.
Blackstone, Sir William
Black |stone |ˈblakstəʊn | (1723 –80 ), English jurist. His major work was the Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765 –9 ), an exposition of English law.
Blackstone River
Black stone Riv er |ˈblakˌstōn ˌblækˌstoʊn ˈrɪvər | a river that flows south for 50 miles (80 km ) through Worcester, Massachusetts, to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, below which it is called the Seekonk River. The Blackstone Valley was a site of early US industrial development.
blackstrap
black strap |ˈblakˌstrap ˈblækstræp | ▶noun a dark, viscous molasses, the byproduct of the final extraction phase of sugar refining, used chiefly in cattle feed and in the industrial production of citric acid and vinegar.
black stump
black stump ▶noun Austral. informal a notional place in the outback imagined as being the last outpost of civilization: he was born not in the capital city, but somewhere out beyond the black stump . ORIGIN early 20th cent.: black in the sense ‘fire-blackened ’.
black swan
black swan ▶noun a mainly black swan with white flight feathers, which is common in Australia and Tasmania and has been introduced widely elsewhere. [Cygnus atratus, family Anatidae. ]
blacktail deer
black tail deer |ˈblakˌtāl ˌblækteɪl ˈdɪər |(also black-tailed deer ) ▶noun a type of mule deer with black markings on the upper side of its tail, found west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. [Odocoileus hemionus subsp. columbianus, family Cervidae. ]
black tea
black tea ▶noun 1 tea of the most usual type, that is fully fermented before drying. Compare with green tea. 2 tea served without milk or cream.
blackthorn
black thorn |ˈblakˌTHôrn ˈblækˌθɔrn | ▶noun a thorny Eurasian shrub that bears white flowers before the leaves appear and astringent blue-black fruits. Also called sloe. [Prunus spinosa, family Rosaceae. ] • a walking stick or cudgel made from the wood of this shrub.
blackthorn winter
black |thorn win ¦ter ▶noun Brit. a spell of cold weather at the time in early spring when the blackthorn flowers.
Black Thursday
Black Thurs day ▶noun October 24, 1929. On this date, a then-record number of shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange by panicked investors, marking the onset of the stock market crash that precipitated the Great Depression.
black tie
black tie |blæk taɪ | ▶noun a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket. • formal evening dress: the audience wears black tie | [ as modifier ] : evening meals were black-tie affairs.
blacktop
black top |ˈblakˌtäp ˈblækˌtɑp | ▶noun asphalt, or other black material used for surfacing roads: [ as modifier ] : blacktop roads. • a road or area surfaced with such material: playing hopscotch on the blacktop behind the school. ▶verb ( blacktops, blacktopping, blacktopped ) [ with obj. ] surface (a road or area ) with such material: 41 miles had been blacktopped to date.
black tracker
black track ¦er ▶noun Austral. an Aborigine employed to help find people lost or hiding in the bush.
Black Tuesday
Black Tues day ▶noun October 29, 1929. On this date, share prices on the New York Stock Exchange completely collapsed, becoming a pivotal factor in the emergence of the Great Depression.
black tupelo
black tu pe lo ▶noun another term for sourgum.
black velvet
black vel vet |blæk ˈvɛlvət | ▶noun a drink consisting of a mixture of stout and champagne.
black vulture
black vul ture ▶noun 1 a large, aggressive American vulture with black plumage and a short square tail. Also called carrion crow. [Coragyps atratus, family Cathartidae. ] 2 a very large Old World vulture with blackish-brown plumage, now rare in Europe. Also called cinereous vulture. [Aygypius monachus, family Accipitridae. ]
blackwall tyre
black |wall tyre ▶noun a tyre with black side walls.
black walnut
black wal nut ▶noun see walnut.
Black Warrior River
Black War ri or Riv er a river that flows 178 miles (287 km ) across northern Alabama to join the Tombigbee River. Tuscaloosa and the Birmingham area lie along its course.
Black Watch
Black Watch the Royal Highland Regiment. ORIGIN in the early 18th cent. the term Watch was given to certain companies of irregular troops in the Highlands; Black Watch referred to some of these companies raised c. 1729 –30, distinguished by their dark-coloured tartan.
black water
black wa ter ▶noun technical waste water from toilets. Compare with gray water.
blackwater fever
black wa ter fe ver |ˈblakˌwôtər, -ˌwätər ˌblækwɔdər ˈfivər | ▶noun a severe form of malaria in which blood cells are rapidly destroyed, resulting in dark urine.
Blackwell, Elizabeth
Black well, Elizabeth |ˈblakwəl, -ˌwel ˈblækwɛl | (1821 –1910 ), US physician, born in England. She was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the US (1849 ) and the first woman listed in the Medical Register of the United Kingdom (1859 ).
black widow
black wid ow |ˈˌblæk ˈwɪdoʊ | ▶noun a highly venomous American spider that has a black body with red markings. [Latrodectus mactans, family Theridiidae; races also occur on other continents. ]
blackwood
black |wood |ˈblakwʊd | ▶noun a tropical hardwood tree of the pea family, which produces high-quality dark timber. ●Dalbergia and other genera, family Leguminosae: several species.
blackwork
black work |ˈblakˌwərk ˈblækwərk | ▶noun a type of embroidery done in black thread on white cloth, esp. popular in England during the Tudor period.
Oxford Dictionary
black
black |blak | ▶adjective 1 of the very darkest colour due to the absence of or complete absorption of light; the opposite of white: black smoke | her long black hair. • (of the sky or night ) completely dark due to the sun, moon, or stars not being visible: the sky was moonless and black. • deeply stained with dirt: the walls were black with age and dirt. • (of a plant or animal ) dark in colour as distinguished from a lighter variety: Japanese black pine. • (of coffee or tea ) served without milk. • of or denoting the suits spades and clubs in a pack of cards. • (of a ski run ) of the highest level of difficulty, as indicated by black markers positioned along it. 2 (also Black ) belonging to or denoting any human group having dark-coloured skin, especially of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry. • relating to black people: black culture. 3 characterized by tragic or disastrous events; causing despair or pessimism: five thousand men were killed on the blackest day of the war | the future looks black. • (of a person's state of mind ) full of gloom or misery; very depressed: Jean had disappeared and Mary was in a black mood. • (of humour ) presenting tragic or harrowing situations in comic terms. • full of anger or hatred: Rory shot her a black look. • archaic very evil or wicked: my soul is steeped in the blackest sin. 4 denoting a covert military procedure: clearance for black operations came from the highest political level. 5 Brit. dated (of goods or work ) not to be handled or undertaken by trade union members, especially so as to express support for an industrial dispute elsewhere: the union declared the ship black. ▶noun 1 [ mass noun ] black colour or pigment: a tray decorated in black and green. • black clothes or material, typically worn as a sign of mourning: only one or two of the mourners were in black. • darkness, especially of night or an overcast sky: the only thing visible in the black was the light of the torch. • ( Black ) the player of the black pieces in chess or draughts. • [ count noun ] a black thing, in particular the black ball in snooker. 2 (also Black ) a member of a dark-skinned people, especially one of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry. 3 Brit. informal blackcurrant cordial: a rum and black. ▶verb [ with obj. ] 1 make (something ) black, especially with polish: the steps of the house were neatly blacked. • make (one's face and other visible parts ) black with polish or make-up so as not to be seen at night or to play the role of a black person in a play or film: white extras blacking up their faces to play Ethiopians. 2 Brit. dated refuse to handle (goods ), undertake (work ), or have dealings with (a person or business ) as a way of taking industrial action: the printers blacked firms trying to employ women. PHRASES black someone's eye hit someone in the eye so as to cause bruising. black-on-black denoting harmful actions in which both the perpetrator and the victim are black: the American media was saturated with stories of black-on-black violence. in the black not owing any money; solvent. in someone's black books informal in disfavour with someone. look on the black side informal view a situation from a pessimistic angle. men in black informal anonymous dark-clothed men who supposedly visit people who have reported an encounter with a UFO or an alien in order to prevent them publicizing it. the new black a colour that is currently so popular that it rivals the traditional status of black as the most reliably fashionable colour : brown is the new black this season. • something which is suddenly extremely popular or fashionable: retro sci-fi is the new black. not as black as one is painted informal not as bad as one is said to be. PHRASAL VERBS black out undergo a sudden and temporary loss of consciousness. black something out 1 extinguish all lights or completely cover windows, especially for protection against an air attack. • subject a place to an electricity failure: Chicago was blacked out yesterday after a freak flood. 2 obscure something completely so that it cannot be read or seen: the number plate had been blacked out with masking tape. • (of a television company ) decide not to broadcast a disputed or controversial programme. DERIVATIVES blackish adjective, blackly adverb, blackness noun ORIGIN Old English blæc, of Germanic origin. usage: Black has been used to refer to African peoples and their descendants since at least the late 14th century. Although the word has been in continuous use ever since, other terms have enjoyed prominence too: in the US coloured was the term adopted in preference by emancipated slaves following the American Civil War, and coloured was itself superseded in the US in the early 20th century by Negro as the term preferred by prominent black American campaigners such as Booker T. Washington. In Britain, on the other hand, coloured was the most widely used and accepted term in the 1950s and early 1960s. With the civil rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s, black was adopted by Americans of African origin to signify a sense of racial pride, and it remains the most widely used and generally accepted term in Britain today. In the US African American replaced black in many contexts during the 1980s, but both are now generally acceptable.
Black, Hugo
Black, Hugo |blak blæk | (1886 –1971 ), US Supreme Court associate justice 1937 –71; full name Hugo Lafayette Black. Noted as an advocate of First Amendment rights, he was also a US senator from Alabama 1927 –37.
Black, Joseph
Black |blak | (1728 –99 ), Scottish chemist. He was important in developing accurate techniques for following chemical reactions by weighing reactants and products, and formulated the concepts of latent heat and thermal capacity.
black Africa
black Af ¦rica the area of Africa, generally south of the Sahara, where black people predominate.
blackamoor
blackamoor |ˈblakəmɔː, -mʊə | ▶noun archaic a black African or a very dark-skinned person. ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from black + Moor .
black and blue
black and blue ▶adjective covered in livid bruises.
black and tan
black and tan ▶noun 1 a terrier of a breed with a black back and tan markings on face, flanks, and legs. 2 [ mass noun ] Brit. a drink composed of stout and bitter.
Black and Tans
Black and Tans an armed force recruited by the British government to fight Sinn Fein in Ireland in 1920 –1. Their harsh methods caused an outcry in Britain and America. ORIGIN so named because of the mixture of military khaki and black constabulary colours of their uniform.
black and white
black and white ▶adjective 1 (of a photograph, film, television programme, etc. ) in black, white, shades of grey, and no other colour: old black-and-white movies. 2 (of a situation or debate ) involving clearly defined opposing principles or issues: it was all grey areas; no black-and-white certainties. ▶noun US informal a police car. PHRASES in black and white 1 in writing or print: she had abandoned all hope of getting her contract down in black and white. 2 in terms of clearly defined opposing principles or issues: children think in black and white, good and bad.
black ant
black ant ▶noun a small ant which is black in colour and is typically found in and around houses. ●Several species in the family Formicidae.
black art
black art ▶noun (often the black arts ) another term for black magic. • humorous a technique or practice considered mysterious and sinister: the black art of political news management.
blackball
black |ball |ˈblakbɔːl | ▶verb [ with obj. ] reject (a candidate applying to become a member of a private club ), typically by means of a secret ballot. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from the practice of registering an adverse vote by placing a black ball in a ballot box.
black ban
black ban ▶noun Austral. a mass refusal to supply or purchase goods or services in an attempt to force a particular decision or action.
black bass
black bass ▶noun a North American freshwater fish of the sunfish family, which is a popular sporting and food fish. ●Genus Micropterus, family Centrarchidae: several species, in particular the largemouth bass (M. salmoides ) and the smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui ).
black bean
black bean ▶noun 1 either of two cultivated varieties of bean plant having small black seeds: ● a variety of soy bean, used fermented in oriental cooking. ● a Mexican variety of the French bean. • the dried seed of the black bean plants, used as a vegetable. 2 either of two Australian plants of the pea family: ● a liana with blackish flowers (Kennedia nigricans, family Leguminosae ). ● another term for Moreton Bay chestnut .
black bear
black bear ▶noun a medium-sized forest-dwelling bear with blackish fur and a paler face, found in North America and eastern Asia. ●Two species, family Ursidae: the American black bear (Ursus americanus ), with a wide range of coat colour, and the smaller Asian black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus ).
Blackbeard
Black beard |ˈblakˌbi (ə )rd ˈblækbɪərd | (died 1718 ), English pirate; real name Edward Teach. Originally a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession 1701 –14, he turned to piracy and concentrated on the West Indies and the Virginia –North Carolina coast of America.
black beetle
black bee ¦tle ▶noun Brit. informal the common cockroach.
black belt
black belt ▶noun a black belt worn by an expert in judo, karate, and other martial arts. • a person qualified to wear a black belt.
Black Belt
Black Belt an agricultural district in central Alabama and Mississippi, named for its rich soils.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry |ˈblakbəri | ▶noun trademark a handheld wireless device that provides Internet access and email, telephone, and text-messaging facilities.
blackberry
black |berry |ˈblakb (ə )ri | ▶noun ( pl. blackberries ) 1 an edible soft fruit consisting of a cluster of soft purple-black drupelets. 2 the prickly climbing shrub of the rose family which bears blackberries. Also called bramble. ●Rubus fruticosus, family Rosaceae (sometimes treated as an aggregate of many species ). ▶verb ( blackberries, blackberrying, blackberried ) [ no obj. ] (usu. as noun blackberrying ) gather blackberries in the wild.
black bile
black bile ▶noun [ mass noun ] (in medieval science and medicine ) one of the four bodily humours, believed to be associated with a melancholy temperament. Also called melancholy. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: translation of Greek melankholia (see melancholy ). Compare with atrabilious .
black bindweed
black bind |weed ▶noun [ mass noun ] a twining European weed related to the docks, with heart-shaped leaves and small white flowers. ●Fallopia convolvulus, family Polygonaceae.
blackbird
black |bird |ˈblakbəːd | ▶noun 1 an Old World thrush with mainly black plumage. ●Genus Turdus, family Turdidae: four species, in particular T. merula, the male of which has all-black plumage and a yellow bill. 2 (also American blackbird ) a New World songbird with a strong pointed bill. The male has black plumage that is iridescent or has patches of red or yellow. ●Family Icteridae (the American blackbird family ): several genera and species, including the abundant red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus ). 3 historical a black or Polynesian captive on a slave ship.
blackboard
black |board |ˈblakbɔːd | ▶noun a large board with a smooth dark surface attached to a wall or supported on an easel and used by teachers in schools for writing on with chalk.
black body
black body ▶noun Physics a hypothetical perfect absorber and radiator of energy, with no reflecting power.
black book
black book ▶noun a book containing a list of secret contacts, or of the names of people liable to be punished: he lists his sexual conquests in his little black book .
black bottom
black bot ¦tom |blakˈbɒtəm | ▶noun a popular American dance of the 1920s.
black bottom pie
black bot tom pie ▶noun pie with a bottom layer of chocolate cream or custard and a contrasting top layer, usually of whipped cream.
black box
black box ▶noun a flight recorder in an aircraft. • informal a complex piece of equipment with contents which are mysterious to the user.
blackboy
black |boy |ˈblakbɔɪ | ▶noun an Australian tree or erect shrub with long, stiff grass-like leaves. Flowering in some species is stimulated by fire. Also called grass tree. ●Genus Xanthorrhoea, family Xanthorrhoeaceae: several species, including a tree (X. preissii ) with a thick dark trunk and a palm-like crown of leaves, and a shrub (X. australis ) with a short buried trunk and leaves on the surface of the ground.
black bread
black bread ▶noun [ mass noun ] a coarse dark-coloured type of rye bread.
black bryony
black bry ¦ony ▶noun a climbing European hedgerow plant with broad glossy leaves, poisonous red berries, and black tubers. ●Tamus communis, the only European member of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae ).
blackbuck
black |buck |ˈblakbʌk | ▶noun a small Indian gazelle, the horned male of which has a black back and white underbelly, the female being hornless. Also called sasin. ●Antilope cervicapra, family Bovidae.
black bulgar
black bul ¦gar ▶noun a cup-shaped stemless black fungus which grows on the fallen trunks and branches of broadleaved trees in Europe. ●Bulgaria inquinans, family Helotiaceae, subdivision Ascomycotina.
black bun
black bun ▶noun [ mass noun ] rich fruit cake in a pastry case, traditionally eaten in Scotland at New Year.
Blackburn
Black |burn |ˈblakbəːn | an industrial town in Lancashire, NW England; pop. 104,100 (est. 2009 ).
blackbutt
black |butt ▶noun a tall straight-trunked Australian eucalyptus tree, typically with fire-charred fibrous bark on the lower trunk and with pale brown timber. ●Eucalyptus pilularis, family Myrtaceae. ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from black + butt 3 in the sense ‘tree trunk ’.
black butter
black but ¦ter ▶noun [ mass noun ] a sauce made by heating butter until it is brown and, typically, adding vinegar.
blackcap
black |cap |ˈblakkap | ▶noun 1 a mainly European warbler with a black cap in the male and a reddish-brown one in the female. ●Sylvia atricapilla, family Sylviidae. 2 N. Amer. the black-capped chickadee. ●Parus atricapillus, family Paridae.
Black Carib
Black Carib ▶noun [ mass noun ] a language derived from Island Carib with borrowings from Spanish, English, and French, spoken in isolated parts of Central America by descendants of people transported from the Lesser Antilles.
black caucus
black cau ¦cus ▶noun US a political caucus composed of black people interested in advancing the concerns of blacks.
black cherry
black cher ry ▶noun a large North American cherry tree that yields valuable close-grained hard wood. [Prunus serotina, family Rosaceae. ] • the bitter blackish fruit of this tree, sometimes used for jellies and regularly eaten by wild birds and animals.
blackcock
black |cock |ˈblakkɒk | ▶noun ( pl. same ) the male of the black grouse.
black consciousness
black con |scious |ness ▶noun [ mass noun ] awareness of one's identity as a black person.
Black Country
Black Country a district of the English Midlands with much heavy industry.
blackcurrant
black |cur ¦rant |blakˈkʌr (ə )nt | ▶noun 1 a small round edible black berry which grows in loose hanging clusters. 2 the widely cultivated shrub which bears blackcurrants. ●Ribes nigrum, family Grossulariaceae.
blackdamp
black damp |ˈblakˌdamp ˈblækdæmp | ▶noun choking or suffocating gas, typically carbon dioxide, that is found in mines and other underground spaces.
Black Death
Black Death the great epidemic of a disease thought to be bubonic plague, which killed a large proportion of the population of Europe in the mid 14th century. It originated in central Asia and China and spread rapidly through Europe, carried by the fleas of black rats, reaching England in 1348 and killing between one third and one half of the population in a matter of months. ORIGIN a modern term (compare with earlier the (great ) pestilence, great death, the plague ), said to have been introduced into English history by Mrs Markham (pseudonym of Mrs Penrose ) in 1823, and into medical literature by a translation of German der Schwarze Tod (1833 ).
black diamond
black dia |mond ▶noun 1 informal a lump of coal. 2 a dark, opaque form of diamond. Also called carbonado. 3 [ usu. as modifier ] N. Amer. a difficult ski slope: a steep, black-diamond run.
black dog
black dog ▶noun a metaphorical representation of melancholy or depression. ORIGIN late 18th cent. (earlier as a name used during Queen Anne's reign for a bad shilling ). Winston Churchill used the expression when alluding to his periodic bouts of depression.
black duck
black duck ▶noun a duck with black plumage, esp. the American black duck (Anas rubripes ) of northeastern North America.
black durgon
black durgon |ˈdəːg (ə )n | ▶noun a black triggerfish that occurs worldwide in tropical seas. ●Melichthys niger, family Balistidae. ORIGIN mid 20th cent.: durgon perhaps from English dialect durgan or durgen ‘undersized person or animal ’.
black economy
black econ |omy ▶noun Brit. the part of a country's economic activity which is unrecorded and untaxed by its government.
blacken
black ¦en |ˈblak (ə )n | ▶verb make or become black or dark, especially as a result of burning, decay, or bruising: [ with obj. ] : stone blackened by the soot of ages | (as adj. blackened ) : she smiled at Mary, revealing blackened teeth | [ no obj. ] : he set light to the paper, watching the end blacken as it burned. • [ with obj. ] dye or colour (the face or hair ) black for camouflage or cosmetic effect. • [ with obj. ] damage or destroy (someone's reputation ) by speaking badly of them: she won't thank you for blackening her husband's name.
black English
black Eng |lish ▶noun [ mass noun ] any of various forms of English spoken by black people, especially as an urban dialect in the US.
Blackett, Patrick
Blackett, Patrick |ˈblakɪt |, Baron (1897 –1974 ), English physicist; full name Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett. Blackett was a member of the Maud Committee, which dealt with the development of the atom bomb. He also modified the cloud chamber for the study of cosmic rays. Nobel Prize for Physics (1948 ).
black eye
black eye ▶noun an area of bruised skin around the eye resulting from a blow.
black-eyed bean
black-eyed bean (also black-eye bean, US black-eyed pea ) ▶noun a creamy-white edible bean which has a black mark at the point where it was attached to the pod. ●This bean is obtained from Vigna sinensis, family Leguminosae.
black-eyed Susan
black-eyed Susan ▶noun any of a number of plants having flowers with yellowish petals and a dark centre: ● a slender tropical climber popular as an indoor or greenhouse plant (Thunbergia alata, family Acanthaceae ). ● a rudbeckia grown in gardens (Rudbeckia hirta and its hybrids, family Compositae ).
blackface
black |face |ˈblakfeɪs | ▶noun 1 a sheep of a breed with a black face. 2 [ mass noun ] make-up used by a non-black performer playing a black role.
blackfellow
black |fel ¦low |ˈblakˌfɛləʊ | ▶noun Austral. offensive an Aboriginal.
black-figure
black-figure ▶noun [ usu. as modifier ] a type of ancient Greek pottery, originating in Corinth in the 7th century bc, in which figures are painted in black, details being added by incising through to the red clay background: a black-figure amphora. Compare with red-figure.
blackfish
black |fish |ˈblakfɪʃ | ▶noun ( pl. same or blackfishes ) 1 any of a number of dark-coloured fish: ● an open-ocean fish related to the perches (genera Centrolophus and Schedophilus, family Centrolophidae ), in particular the large and widespread C. niger. ● ( Alaska blackfish ) a small fish occurring along the Arctic coasts of Alaska and Siberia, noted for its ability to withstand freezing (Dallia pectoralis, family Umbridae ). ● ( river blackfish ) a large fish of Australian rivers (Gadopsis marmoratus, family Gadopsidae ). ● another term for luderick ● another term for galjoen ● a salmon just after spawning. 2 another term for pilot whale.
black flag
black flag ▶noun 1 historical a pirate's ensign, typically thought to feature a white skull and crossbones on a black background. 2 historical a black flag hoisted outside a prison to announce an execution. 3 Motor Racing a black flag used to signal to a driver that he must stop at the pits as a punishment for a misdemeanour.
blackfly
black |fly |ˈblakflʌɪ | ▶noun ( pl. same or blackflies ) 1 a black or dark green aphid which is a common pest of crops and gardens. ●Several species in the family Aphididae, in particular Aphis fabae. 2 (also black fly ) a small black fly, the female of which sucks blood and can transmit a number of serious human and animal diseases. ●Family Simuliidae: Simulium and other genera.
Blackfoot
Black |foot |ˈblakfʊt | ▶noun ( pl. same or Blackfeet ) 1 a member of a confederacy of North American Indian peoples of the north-western plains. The Blackfoot confederacy was made up of three closely related tribes: the Blackfoot proper or Siksika, the Bloods, and the Peigan. 2 [ mass noun ] the Algonquian language of the Blackfoot, with about 6,000 speakers. ▶adjective relating to the Blackfoot or their language.
Black Forest
Black Forest a hilly wooded region of SW Germany, lying to the east of the Rhine valley. German name Schwarzwald.
Black Forest gateau
Black Forest gateau (N. Amer. Black Forest cake ) ▶noun a chocolate sponge having layers of morello cherries or cherry jam and whipped cream and topped with chocolate icing.
Black Friar
Black Friar ▶noun a Dominican friar. ORIGIN early 16th cent.: so named because of the colour of the order's habit.
Black Friday
Black Fri day ▶noun 1 (in the US ) the day after Thanksgiving, noted as the first day of traditional Christmas shopping, during which crowds of consumers are drawn to special offers by retailers. folks were lining up to buy $30 DVD players at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. 2 September 24, 1869. On this date, an attempt by a few speculators to corner the US gold market was thwarted when President Ulysses S. Grant released government gold for sale, making gold prices plummet and creating a panic in the stock market.
black frost
black frost ▶noun [ mass noun ] frost which does not have a white surface.
black gold
black gold ▶noun [ mass noun ] N. Amer. informal oil.
black grouse
black grouse ▶noun ( pl. same ) a large Eurasian grouse, the male of which has glossy blue-black plumage and a lyre-shaped tail. The males display in communal leks. ●Tetrao tetrix, family Tetraonidae (or Phasianidae ); the male is called a blackcock and the female a greyhen.
blackguard
blackguard |ˈblagɑːd, -gəd | dated ▶noun a man who behaves in a dishonourable or contemptible way. ▶verb [ with obj. ] abuse or disparage (someone ) scurrilously. DERIVATIVES blackguardly adjective ORIGIN early 16th cent. (originally as two words ): from black + guard. The term originally denoted a body of attendants or servants, especially the menials who had charge of kitchen utensils, but the exact significance of the epithet ‘black ’ is uncertain. The sense ‘scoundrel, villain ’ dates from the mid 18th cent. , and was formerly considered highly offensive.
black guillemot
black guil ¦le |mot ▶noun a seabird of the auk family with black summer plumage and large white wing patches, breeding on the coasts of the Arctic and North Atlantic. ●Cepphus grylle, family Alcidae.
Black Hamburg
Black Ham |burg ▶noun see Hamburg 2.
Black Hand
Black Hand ▶noun a secret criminal and terrorist society in New York during the early 20th century. • any similar society.
Black Hawk
Black Hawk (1767 –1838 ), American Indian leader, chief of the Sauk and Fox Indians; native name Makataimeshekiakiak. He fought to repossess Indian lands in the Black Hawk War 1832.
blackhead
black |head |ˈblakhɛd | ▶noun 1 a plug of sebum in a hair follicle, darkened by oxidation. 2 [ mass noun ] an infectious disease of turkeys producing discoloration of the head, caused by a protozoon.
Black Hills
Black Hills a range of mountains in east Wyoming and west South Dakota. The highest point is Harney Peak (2,207 m, 7,242 ft ); the range also includes the sculptured granite face of Mount Rushmore.
black hole
black hole ▶noun Astronomy a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape. • informal a place where money or lost items apparently disappear without trace. Black holes are probably formed when a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel and collapses under its own gravity. If the star is massive enough no known force can counteract the increasing gravity, and it will collapse to a point of infinite density. Before this stage is reached, within a certain radius (the event horizon ) light itself becomes trapped and the object becomes invisible.
Black Hole of Calcutta
Black Hole of Cal |cutta a dungeon 6 metres (20 feet ) square in Fort William, Calcutta (now Kolkata ), where perhaps as many as 146 English prisoners were confined overnight following the capture of the city by the nawab of Bengal in 1756. Only twenty-three of them were still alive the next morning.
black house
black house ▶noun a traditional single-storeyed Scottish house built of turf or mortarless stone, typically lacking a chimney and roofed with turf or thatch.
black ice
black ice ▶noun [ mass noun ] a transparent coating of ice, especially on a road surface.
black information
black in |for |ma ¦tion ▶noun [ mass noun ] information held by banks, credit agencies, or other financial institutions about people who are considered bad credit risks.
blacking
black |ing |ˈblakɪŋ | ▶noun [ mass noun ] black paste or polish, especially that used on shoes.
blackjack
black |jack |ˈblakdʒak | ▶noun 1 [ mass noun ] chiefly N. Amer. a gambling card game in which players try to acquire cards with a face value totalling 21 and no more. Also called pontoon 2, vingt-et-un. 2 a widely distributed weed related to the bur-marigold, with barbed black seeds. [perhaps from sense 3, drawing a comparison between the shape of the seeds and a bludgeon. ] ●Bidens pilosa, family Compositae. 3 N. Amer. a flexible lead-filled truncheon. 4 historical a pirates' black ensign. 5 historical a tar-coated leather container used to hold beer.
Black Jew
Black Jew ▶noun another term for Falasha.
black kite
black kite ▶noun a bird of prey with dark plumage and a slightly forked tail, feeding mainly by scavenging and found throughout much of the Old World. ●Milvus migrans, family Accipitridae.
black knight
black knight ▶noun Stock Exchange a person or company making an unwelcome takeover bid for another company. ORIGIN by association with white knight .
blacklead
black |lead |ˈblaklɛd | ▶noun another term for graphite. ▶verb [ with obj. ] polish (metal, especially cast iron ) with graphite.
blackleg
black |leg |ˈblaklɛg | ▶noun 1 Brit. derogatory a person who continues working when fellow workers are on strike. 2 [ mass noun ] an acute infectious bacterial disease of cattle and sheep, causing necrosis in one or more legs. ●The bacterium is Clostridium chauvoei. 3 [ mass noun ] any of a number of plant diseases in which part of the stem blackens and decays, in particular: ● a fungal disease of cabbages and related plants (caused by Leptosphaeria, Pleospora, and other genera ). ● a bacterial disease of potatoes (caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica ). ▶verb ( blacklegs, blacklegging, blacklegged ) [ no obj. ] Brit. derogatory continue working when one's fellow workers are on strike.
black letter
black let ¦ter ▶noun [ mass noun ] an early ornate, bold style of type.
black light
black light ▶noun [ mass noun ] ultraviolet or infrared radiation, invisible to the eye.
blacklist
black |list |ˈblaklɪst | ▶noun a list of people or groups regarded as unacceptable or untrustworthy and often marked down for punishment or exclusion. ▶verb [ with obj. ] put (a person or group ) on a blacklist.
black locust
black lo cust ▶noun a North American tree with compound leaves and dense, hanging clusters of fragrant white flowers, widely grown as an ornamental. [Robinia pseudoacacia, family Leguminosae. ]
black lung
black lung ▶noun [ mass noun ] chiefly N. Amer. pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of coal dust.
black magic
black magic ▶noun [ mass noun ] magic involving the supposed invocation of evil spirits for evil purposes.
blackmail
black |mail |ˈblakmeɪl | ▶noun [ mass noun ] the action, treated as a criminal offence, of demanding money from someone in return for not revealing compromising information which one has about them. • money demanded by a person or group engaged in blackmail: we do not pay blackmail. • the use of threats or the manipulation of someone's feelings to force them to do something: some people use emotional blackmail. ▶verb [ with obj. ] demand money from (someone ) in return for not revealing compromising information about them. • force (someone ) to do something by using threats or manipulating their feelings: he had blackmailed her into sailing with him. DERIVATIVES blackmailer noun ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (denoting protection money levied by Scottish chiefs ): from black + obsolete mail ‘tribute, rent ’, from Old Norse mál ‘speech, agreement ’.
black mamba
black mamba ▶noun a highly venomous slender olive-brown to dark grey snake that moves with great speed and agility. Native to eastern and southern Africa, it is the largest poisonous snake on the continent. ●Dendroaspis polylepis, family Elapidae.
Black Maria
Black Maria |blak məˈrʌɪə | ▶noun 1 informal a police vehicle for transporting prisoners. 2 [ mass noun ] a card game in which players try to avoid winning tricks containing the queen of spades or any hearts. • a name for the queen of spades in the game of Black Maria. ORIGIN mid 19th cent. (originally US ): said to be named after a black woman, Maria Lee, who kept a boarding house in Boston and helped police in escorting drunk and disorderly customers to jail.
black mark
black mark ▶noun Brit. informal a note or record of a person's misdemeanour or discreditable action: a black mark went down against his name for turning down the job.
black market
black mar ¦ket ▶noun an illegal traffic or trade in officially controlled or scarce commodities: the men planned to sell the meat on the black market | [ as modifier ] : black market currency trading. DERIVATIVES black marketeer noun, black-marketeering noun
black mass
black mass ▶noun a travesty of the Roman Catholic Mass in worship of the Devil.
Black Mesa
Black Me sa an upland in northeastern Arizona, home to many of the Navajo. The Hopi live on extensions to the south.
black metal
black metal ▶noun [ mass noun ] a type of heavy metal music having lyrics which deal with the Devil and the supernatural.
Black Monday
Black Mon ¦day |blakˈmʌndeɪ | ▶noun 1 Monday 19 October 1987, when massive falls in the value of stocks on Wall Street triggered similar falls in markets around the world. 2 archaic Easter Monday.
black money
black money ▶noun [ mass noun ] income illegally obtained or not declared for tax purposes.
Black Monk
Black Monk ▶noun a Benedictine monk. ORIGIN Middle English: so named because of the typical colour of the order's habit.
Blackmore, R. D.
Black |more |ˈblakmɔː | (1825 –1900 ), English novelist and poet; full name Richard Doddridge Blackmore. He is known for his romantic novel Lorna Doone (1869 ), set on 17th -century Exmoor.
Black Mountains
Black Moun tains a range of the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina. Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,039 m ) is the high point.
Blackmun, Harry
Black mun, Harry |ˈblakmən ˈblækmən | (1908 –99 ), US Supreme Court associate justice 1970 –94; full name Harry Andrew Blackmun. He is noted as the author of Roe v. Wade, which ruled on the right to legal abortion in 1973.
black Muslim
black Mus ¦lim ▶noun a member of the Nation of Islam .
black nationalism
black na ¦tion ¦al |ism ▶noun [ mass noun ] the advocacy of the national civil rights of black people, especially in the US.
black operations
black op er a tions (also black ops ) ▶plural noun covert military or political operations that may employ measures not generally authorized. the plan involved wiretapping, burglary, mail-opening, and other black operations.
blackout
black |out |ˈblakaʊt | ▶noun 1 a period when all lights must be turned out or covered to prevent them being seen by the enemy during an air raid. • (usu. blackouts ) Brit. dark curtains put up in windows to cover lights during an air raid. • a failure of an electrical power supply: due to a power blackout their hotel was in total darkness. • a moment in the theatre when the lights on stage are suddenly dimmed. • a suppression of information, especially one imposed on the media by government: there is a total information blackout on minority interests. 2 a temporary loss of consciousness.
Black Panther
Black Panther |blakˈpanθə (r )| ▶noun a member of a militant political organization set up in the US in 1966 to fight for black rights.
black panther
black pan |ther ▶noun a leopard that has black fur rather than the typical spotted coat.
black pepper
black pep ¦per ▶noun [ mass noun ] the dried black berries of the pepper, harvested while still unripe and used either whole or ground as a spice and condiment.
blackpoll
blackpoll |ˈblakpəʊl |(also blackpoll warbler ) ▶noun a North American warbler with a black cap, white cheeks, and white underparts streaked with black. ●Dendroica striata, family Parulidae.
Blackpool
Black |pool |ˈblakpuːl | a seaside resort in Lancashire, NW England; pop. 142,600 (est. 2009 ).
black poplar
black poplar ▶noun a Eurasian poplar with a blackish-brown trunk and arching lower branches. ●Populus nigra, family Salicaceae.
black powder
black pow ¦der ▶noun [ mass noun ] gunpowder.
Black Power
Black Power ▶noun [ mass noun ] a movement in support of rights and political power for black people, especially prominent in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
Black Prince
Black Prince (1330 –76 ), eldest son of Edward III of England; name given to Edward, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. He was responsible for the English victory at Poitiers in 1356. He predeceased his father, but his son became king as Richard II.
black pudding
black pud |ding ▶noun Brit. a black sausage containing pork, dried pig's blood, and suet.
black raspberry
black rasp ber ry ▶noun 1 an edible soft fruit related to the blackberry, consisting of a cluster of black drupelets. 2 the prickly arching shrub of the rose family that bears this fruit. [Rubus occidentalis, family Rosaceae. ]
black rat
black rat ▶noun a rat with dark fur, large ears, and a long tail. It is found throughout the world, being particularly common in the tropics, and is the chief host of the plague-transmitting flea. Also called ship rat, house rat, or roof rat. ●Rattus rattus, family Muridae.
black rhinoceros
black rhi |noceros ▶noun a two-horned rhinoceros with a prehensile upper lip, found in Africa south of the Sahara. ●Diceros bicornis, family Rhinocerotidae.
Black River
Black Riv er a river that flows southeast for 300 miles (480 km ) through Missouri and Arkansas, along the eastern edge of the Ozark Plateau.
Black Rod
Black Rod (in full Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod ) ▶noun (in the UK ) the chief usher of the Lord Chamberlain's department of the royal household, who is also usher to the House of Lords. ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: so named because of the black wand carried as a symbol of office.
black rot
black rot ▶noun [ mass noun ] any of a number of fungal or bacterial diseases of plants, fruits, and vegetables, producing blackening, rotting, and shrivelling.
black salsify
black sal |sify ▶noun another term for scorzonera.
Blacksburg
Blacks burg |ˈblaksˌbərg ˈblæksbərɡ | a town in southwestern Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains, home to Virginia Polytechnic Institute; pop. 41,796 (est. 2008 ).
Black Sea
Black Sea a tideless almost landlocked sea bounded by Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania, connected to the Mediterranean through the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara.
black sheep
black sheep ▶noun informal a member of a family or group who is regarded as a disgrace to it. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from the proverb there is a black sheep in every flock .
blackshirt
black |shirt |ˈblakʃəːt | ▶noun a member of a Fascist organization, in particular: • (in Italy ) a member of a paramilitary group founded by Mussolini. • (in Nazi Germany ) a member of the SS. • (in the UK ) a supporter of Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists. ORIGIN 1920s: so named because of the colour of the Italian Fascist uniform.
blacksmith
black |smith |ˈblaksmɪθ | ▶noun a person who makes and repairs things in iron by hand. • a farrier.
black smoker
black smoker ▶noun Geology a geothermal vent on the seabed which ejects superheated water containing much suspended matter, typically black sulphide minerals.
blacksnake
black snake |ˈblakˌsnāk ˈblæksneɪk | ▶noun a long black American racer, esp. the common Northern blacksnake (Coluber constrictor constrictor ), the adult of which is a patternless black, above and below.
black spot
black spot ▶noun 1 Brit. a place or area marked by a particular trouble or concern: an unemployment black spot | an accident black spot. 2 [ mass noun ] a fungal or bacterial disease of plants, especially roses, producing black blotches on the leaves. ●Rose black spot is caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, subdivision Ascomycotina.
Black Stone
Black Stone the sacred reddish-black stone built into the outside wall of the Kaaba and ritually touched by Muslim pilgrims.
Blackstone, Sir William
Black |stone |ˈblakstəʊn | (1723 –80 ), English jurist. His major work was the Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765 –9 ), an exposition of English law.
Blackstone River
Black stone Riv er |ˈblakˌstōn ˌblækˌstoʊn ˈrɪvər | a river that flows south for 50 miles (80 km ) through Worcester, Massachusetts, to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, below which it is called the Seekonk River. The Blackstone Valley was a site of early US industrial development.
blackstrap
black strap |ˈblakˌstrap ˈblækstræp | ▶noun a dark, viscous molasses, the byproduct of the final extraction phase of sugar refining, used chiefly in cattle feed and in the industrial production of citric acid and vinegar.
black stump
black stump ▶noun Austral. informal a notional place in the outback imagined as being the last outpost of civilization: he was born not in the capital city, but somewhere out beyond the black stump . ORIGIN early 20th cent.: black in the sense ‘fire-blackened ’.
black swan
black swan ▶noun a mainly black swan with white flight feathers which is common in Australia and Tasmania and has been introduced elsewhere. ●Cygnus atratus, family Anatidae. • archaic something extremely rare: husbands without faults, if such black swans there be. [proverbial, from Juvenal's Satires. ]
black-tailed deer
black-tailed deer ▶noun another term for mule deer.
black tea
black tea ▶noun [ mass noun ] 1 tea served without milk. 2 tea of the most usual type, that is fully fermented before drying. Compare with green tea.
blackthorn
black |thorn |ˈblakθɔːn | ▶noun a thorny Eurasian shrub which bears white flowers before the leaves appear, followed by astringent blue-black fruits (sloes ). Also called sloe. ●Prunus spinosa, family Rosaceae. • a walking stick or cudgel made from a stem of the blackthorn shrub.
blackthorn winter
black |thorn win ¦ter ▶noun Brit. a spell of cold weather at the time in early spring when the blackthorn flowers.
Black Thursday
Black Thurs day ▶noun October 24, 1929. On this date, a then-record number of shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange by panicked investors, marking the onset of the stock market crash that precipitated the Great Depression.
black tie
black tie ▶noun a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket. • [ mass noun ] formal evening dress: the audience wears black tie | [ as modifier ] : evening meals were black-tie affairs.
blacktop
blacktop |ˈblaktɒp |chiefly N. Amer. ▶noun [ mass noun ] asphalt, tarmacadam, or other black material used for surfacing roads. • [ count noun ] a road or area surfaced with blacktop. ▶verb ( blacktops, blacktopping, blacktopped ) [ with obj. ] surface (a road or area ) with blacktop: 41 km had been blacktopped to date.
black tracker
black track ¦er ▶noun Austral. an Aborigine employed to help find people lost or hiding in the bush.
Black Tuesday
Black Tues day ▶noun October 29, 1929. On this date, share prices on the New York Stock Exchange completely collapsed, becoming a pivotal factor in the emergence of the Great Depression.
black velvet
black vel ¦vet ▶noun [ mass noun ] a drink consisting of a mixture of stout and champagne.
black vulture
black vul |ture ▶noun 1 a very large Old World vulture with blackish-brown plumage, now rare in Europe. Also called cinereous vulture. ●Aygypius monachus, family Accipitridae. 2 a New World vulture with black plumage and a bare black head. ●Coragyps atratus, family Cathartidae.
blackwall tyre
black |wall tyre ▶noun a tyre with black side walls.
Black Warrior River
Black War ri or Riv er a river that flows 178 miles (287 km ) across northern Alabama to join the Tombigbee River. Tuscaloosa and the Birmingham area lie along its course.
Black Watch
Black Watch the Royal Highland Regiment. ORIGIN in the early 18th cent. the term Watch was given to certain companies of irregular troops in the Highlands; Black Watch referred to some of these companies raised c. 1729 –30, distinguished by their dark-coloured tartan.
black water
black water ▶noun [ mass noun ] technical waste water and sewage from toilets. Compare with grey water.
blackwater fever
black |water fever |ˈblakwɔːtə | ▶noun [ mass noun ] a severe form of malaria in which blood cells are rapidly destroyed, resulting in dark urine.
Blackwell, Elizabeth
Black well, Elizabeth |ˈblakwəl, -ˌwel ˈblækwɛl | (1821 –1910 ), US physician, born in England. She was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the US (1849 ) and the first woman listed in the Medical Register of the United Kingdom (1859 ).
black widow
black widow ▶noun a highly venomous American spider which has a black body with red markings. ●Latrodectus mactans, family Theridiidae; subspecies also occur on other continents (see katipo, redback, button spider ).
blackwood
black |wood |ˈblakwʊd | ▶noun a tropical hardwood tree of the pea family, which produces high-quality dark timber. ●Dalbergia and other genera, family Leguminosae: several species.
blackwork
black |work ▶noun [ mass noun ] a type of embroidery done in black thread on white cloth, popular especially in Tudor times.
American Oxford Thesaurus
black
black adjective 1 a black horse: dark, pitch-black, jet-black, coal-black, ebony, sable, inky. ANTONYMS white. 2 a black night: unlit, dark, starless, moonless, wan; literary tenebrous, Stygian. ANTONYMS clear, bright. 3 thirty-seven percent of the school's students are black. See note below. 4 the blackest day of the war: tragic, disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, fateful, wretched, woeful, awful, terrible; formal grievous. ANTONYMS joyful. 5 Mary was in a black mood: miserable, unhappy, sad, wretched, broken-hearted, heartbroken, grief-stricken, grieving, sorrowful, sorrowing, anguished, desolate, despairing, disconsolate, downcast, dejected, sullen, cheerless, melancholy, morose, gloomy, glum, mournful, doleful, funereal, dismal, forlorn, woeful, abject; informal blue; literary dolorous. ANTONYMS cheerful. 6 black humor: cynical, macabre, weird, unhealthy, ghoulish, morbid, perverted, gruesome; informal sick. 7 a black look: angry, vexed, cross, irritated, incensed. See also angry (sense 1 ). ANTONYMS pleased. 8 archaic a black deed: wicked, evil, heinous, villainous, bad. See also wicked (sense 1 ). ANTONYMS virtuous. PHRASES black out he blacked out from the pain: faint, lose consciousness, pass out, swoon; informal go out. black something out we blacked out our homes during the war: darken, shade, turn off the lights in; keep the light out of. in the black our business is finally in the black: solvent, debt-free, out of debt, in credit, financially sound, able to pay one's debts, creditworthy. black and white 1 a black-and-white picture: monochrome, gray-scale. 2 I wish to see the proposals in black and white: in print, printed, written down, set down, on paper, recorded, on record, documented. 3 in black-and-white terms: categorical, unequivocal, absolute, uncompromising, unconditional, unqualified, unambiguous, clear, clear-cut. USAGE black Black, designating Americans of African heritage, became the most widely used and accepted term in the 1960s and 1970s, replacing Negro. It is not usually capitalized: black Americans. Through the 1980s, the more formal African American replaced black in much usage, but both are now generally acceptable. Afro-American, an earlier alternative to black, is heard mostly in anthropological and cultural contexts. Colored people, common earlier in the twentieth century, is now usually regarded as derogatory, although the phrase survives in the full name of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. An inversion, people of color, has gained some favor, but is also used in reference to other nonwhite ethnic groups: a gathering spot for African Americans and other people of color interested in reading about their cultures. Usage notes show additional guidance on finer points of English usage.
blackball
blackball verb Zabel could not support the group's intention to blackball Curtis: reject, debar, bar, ban, vote against, blacklist, exclude, shut out; ostracize, expel. ANTONYMS admit.
blacken
blacken verb 1 they blackened their faces: black, darken; dirty, make sooty, make smoky, stain, grime, soil. ANTONYMS whiten, clean. 2 the sky blackened: grow /become black, darken, dim, grow dim, cloud over. ANTONYMS lighten, brighten. 3 someone has blackened my name: sully, tarnish, besmirch, drag through the mud /mire, stain, taint, smear, disgrace, dishonor, bring discredit to, damage, ruin; slander, defame. ANTONYMS clear, honor.
blacklist
blacklist verb the club blacklisted Edwards soon after his arrest: boycott, ostracize, blackball, spurn, avoid, embargo, steer clear of, ignore; stigmatize; refuse to employ.
black magic
black magic noun the practice of black magic is illegal in this county: sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, necromancy, the black arts, devilry; malediction, voodoo, witching, witchery.
blackmail
blackmail noun he was accused of blackmail: extortion; informal hush money; formal exaction. ▶verb 1 he was blackmailing the murderer: extort money from, threaten; informal demand hush money from. 2 she blackmailed me to work for her: coerce, pressurize, pressure, force; informal lean on, put the screws on, twist someone's arm.
blackout
blackout noun 1 there must have been a blackout —all the clocks are blinking: power failure, power outage, brownout. 2 a news blackout: suppression, silence, censorship, gag order, reporting restrictions. 3 he had a blackout: fainting spell, faint, loss of consciousness, passing out, swoon, collapse; Medicine syncope.
Oxford Thesaurus
black
black adjective 1 a black horse: dark, pitch-black, as black as pitch, pitch-dark, jet-black, inky, coal-black, blackish; Heraldry sable; literary Stygian; ANTONYMS white. 2 a black night: unlit, dark, starless, moonless, unlighted, unilluminated; gloomy, dusky, dim, murky, dingy, shadowy, overcast; literary crepuscular, tenebrous; rare Stygian, Cimmerian, Tartarean, caliginous. ANTONYMS clear, bright. 3 the blackest day of the war: tragic, disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, ruinous, devastating, fatal, fateful, wretched, woeful, grievous, lamentable, miserable, dire, unfortunate, awful, terrible; literary direful. ANTONYMS joyful. 4 Mary was in a black mood: miserable, unhappy, sad, wretched, broken-hearted, heartbroken, grief-stricken, grieving, sorrowful, sorrowing, mourning, anguished, distressed, desolate, devastated, despairing, inconsolable, disconsolate, downcast, down, downhearted, dejected, crestfallen, cheerless, depressed, pessimistic, melancholy, morose, gloomy, glum, mournful, funereal, doleful, dismal, forlorn, woeful, woebegone, abject, low-spirited, long-faced; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps; literary dolorous. ANTONYMS cheerful. 5 black humour: cynical, sick, macabre, weird, unhealthy, ghoulish, morbid, perverted, gruesome, sadistic, cruel, offensive. 6 Rory shot her a black look: angry, cross, annoyed, irate, vexed, irritated, exasperated, indignant, aggrieved, irked, piqued, displeased, provoked, galled, resentful, irascible, bad-tempered, tetchy, testy, crabby, waspish, dark, dirty, filthy, furious, outraged; threatening, menacing, unfriendly, aggressive, belligerent, hostile, antagonistic, evil, evil-intentioned, wicked, nasty, hate-filled, bitter, acrimonious, malevolent, malicious, malignant, malign, venomous, poisonous, vitriolic, vindictive; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty, eggy; literary malefic, maleficent. ANTONYMS pleasant, friendly. PHRASES in the black the company's in the black again: in credit, in funds, debt-free, out of debt, solvent, financially sound, able to pay one's debts, creditworthy, of good financial standing, solid, secure, profit-making, profitable; rare unindebted. ANTONYMS in debt. black and white 1 a black-and-white picture: monochrome, greyscale. ANTONYMS colour. 2 I wish to see the proposals in black and white : in print, printed, written down, set down, on paper, committed to paper, recorded, on record, documented, clearly /plainly /explicitly defined. ANTONYMS spoken. 3 they tend to talk around the subject instead of making black-and-white statements: categorical, unequivocal, absolute, uncompromising, unconditional, unqualified, unambiguous, clear, clear-cut, positive, straightforward, definite, definitive; simplistic, shallow, pat, glib, jejune, naive. ANTONYMS equivocal. 4 children think in black and white, good and bad: in absolute terms, unequivocally, without shades of grey, categorically, uncompromisingly, unconditionally, unambiguously, clearly, positively, straightforwardly, definitely, definitively; simplistically, shallowly, patly, glibly, jejunely, naively. ANTONYMS equivocally. ▶verb 1 the steps of the houses were neatly blacked. See blacken. 2 he broke his nose and blacked his eye: bruise, contuse; hit, punch, injure; make black, discolour. 3 Brit. dated trade union members blacked the work: boycott, embargo, put /place an embargo on, blacklist, ban, bar, proscribe. PHRASES black out the pain hit him and he blacked out: faint, lose consciousness, pass out, collapse, keel over; informal flake out, conk out, go out; literary swoon. black something out 1 the city was blacked out as an air-raid precaution: darken, make dark /darker, shade, turn off the lights in; keep the light out of. 2 the report on the incident has over 200 pages blacked out: censor, suppress, withhold, cover up, hide, conceal, obscure, veil, draw /pull a veil over, hush up, sweep under the carpet, whitewash. CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD black Black has been used to refer to African peoples and their descendants since the 14th century, and has been in continuous use ever since. Other terms have enjoyed prominence too: in the US coloured was the term adopted in preference by emancipated slaves following the American Civil War, and coloured was itself superseded in the US in the early 20th century by Negro as the term preferred by black American campaigners. In Britain, on the other hand, coloured was the most widely used and accepted term in the 1950s and early 1960s. With the civil rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s, black was adopted in the US to signify a sense of racial pride, and it is the usual word in Britain today. In the US African American is the currently accepted term, which first became prominent in the late 1980s. These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely related synonyms to help you find the best word. WORD LINKS black melan- related prefix, as in melanin, Melanesia Word Links sections supply words that are related to the headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus because they are not actual synonyms.
blackball
blackball verb her husband was blackballed when he tried to join the Country Club: reject, debar, bar, ban, vote against, blacklist, exclude, shut out, leave out in the cold; expel, drum out, oust, cashier, ostracize, repudiate; boycott, snub, shun, spurn, cold-shoulder, give the cold shoulder to; N. Amer. disfellowship. ANTONYMS admit.
blacken
blacken verb 1 you use it to blacken your hair: make black, black, darken, make dark /darker; dirty, make dirty, make sooty, make smoky, stain, grime, begrime, befoul, soil. ANTONYMS whiten, clean. 2 the sky blackened: grow /become black, darken, dim, grow dim, cloud over. ANTONYMS lighten, brighten. 3 she won't thank you for blackening her husband's name: sully, tarnish, blot, besmirch, drag through the mud /mire, stain, taint, smear, smudge, befoul, soil, contaminate, pollute, disgrace, dishonour, bring discredit to, injure, damage, spoil; slander, defame, traduce; literary besmear, smirch; archaic spot, breathe on. ANTONYMS clear, enhance.
blacklist
blacklist verb workers were blacklisted after being quoted in the newspaper: boycott, ostracize, avoid, embargo, put /place an embargo on, consider undesirable, steer clear of, ignore; refuse to employ; Brit. dated black.
black magic
black magic noun they were found guilty of practising black magic: sorcery, magic, witchcraft, wizardry, necromancy, enchantment, spell-working, incantation, the supernatural, occultism, the occult, the black arts, devilry; malediction, voodoo, hoodoo, witching, witchery, hex, spell, jinx; N. Amer. mojo, orenda; NZ makutu; S. African informal muti; rare sortilege, thaumaturgy, theurgy.
blackmail
blackmail noun troops using narcotics could be susceptible to blackmail: extortion, demanding money with menaces, exaction, intimidation; protection racket, bribery; wringing, milking, bleeding, bloodsucking; informal hush money; archaic chantage. ▶verb 1 he was going to blackmail the murderers: extort money from, threaten, hold to ransom, milk, bleed; informal demand hush money from. 2 she had tried to blackmail him into marrying her: coerce, pressurize, pressure, bring pressure to bear on, bulldoze, force, railroad; informal lean on, put the screws on, twist someone's arm.
blackout
blackout noun 1 a generator would power the computer in the event of a blackout: power cut, power failure, electricity failure; trip, blown fuse; brown-out. 2 the authorities imposed a news blackout: suppression, silence, censorship, reporting restrictions, non-communication, cut-off. 3 he had a blackout on the street: faint, fainting fit, loss of consciousness, coma, passing out, period of oblivion, swoon, collapse; Medicine syncope.
Duden Dictionary
Blackband
Black band Substantiv, Neutrum , das |ˈblɛkbɛnd |das Blackband; Genitiv: des Blackbands englisch weniger wertvolles Eisenerz, Kohleneisenstein
Blackberry
Black ber ry Substantiv, maskulin oder Substantiv, Neutrum , der oder das ® |ˈblɛkbɛri ˈblækbəri |der, auch das Blackberry; Genitiv: des Blackberry [s ], Plural: die Blackberrys BlackBerry ®, zu englisch blackberry = Brombeere kleines handliches Gerät zum Telefonieren, zum Senden und Empfangen von E-Mails u. a.
Blackbottom
Black bot tom , Black Bot tom Substantiv, maskulin , der Black Bottom |ˈblɛkbɔtəm ˈblɛk ˈbɔtəm |der Blackbottom; Genitiv: des Blackbottoms, Plural: die Blackbottoms der Black Bottom; Genitiv: des Black Bottoms, Black Bottoms nordamerikanischer Gesellschaftstanz
Blackbox
Black box , Black Box Substantiv, feminin , die Black Box |ˈblɛkbɔks - ˈbɔks ˈblɛkbɔks - ˈbɔks |die Blackbox; Genitiv: der Blackbox, Plural: die Blackboxes die Black Box; Genitiv: der Black Box, Black Boxes englisch black box, eigentlich = schwarzer Kasten 1 Kybernetik Teil eines kybernetischen Systems, dessen Aufbau und innerer Ablauf erst aus den Reaktionen auf eingegebene Signale erschlossen werden können 2 Flugwesen (bei Flugzeugen ) bruch- und feuersicheres Gehäuse mit darin installiertem Flugdatenschreiber und Cockpit-Stimmrekorder, die wichtige Flugdaten bzw. die Gespräche im Cockpit aufzeichnen und die deshalb für die Aufklärung von Flugzeugunglücken wichtig sind
Blackboxmethode
Black box me tho de Substantiv, feminin Kybernetik , die die Blackboxmethode; Genitiv: der Blackboxmethode
Blackbox-Methode
Black box-Me tho de , Black-Box-Me tho de Substantiv, feminin Kybernetik , die Black-Box-Methode ohne Plural ohne Plural Verfahren zum Erkennen noch unbekannter Systeme
Black Hole
Black Hole Substantiv, Neutrum Astronomie , das |ˈblɛk ˈhoʊl |das Black Hole; Genitiv: des Black Hole, Black Holes englisch schwarzes Loch
Blackjack
Black jack , Black Jack Substantiv, Neutrum , das Black Jack |ˈblɛkd͜ʃɛk ˈblɛkd͜ʃɛk |das Blackjack; Genitiv: des Blackjack, Plural: die Blackjack das Black Jack; Genitiv: des Black Jack, Black Jack englisch, aus: black = schwarz und jack = Bube 2 amerikanisches Kartenspiel als Variante des Siebzehnundvier
Blackmail
Black mail , Black Mail Substantiv, feminin , die Black Mail |ˈblɛkmeɪl |die Blackmail; Genitiv: der Blackmail, Plural: die Blackmails die Black Mail; Genitiv: der Black Mail, Black Mails Erpressung [durch Androhung der Bloßstellung ]
Blackout
Black out , Black-out Substantiv, maskulin oder Substantiv, Neutrum , der oder das Black-out |ˈblɛk |a͜ut blɛkˈ |a͜ut ˈblɛk |a͜ut blɛkˈ |a͜ut |der und das Blackout; Genitiv: des Blackout [s ], Plural: die Blackouts der und das Black-out; Genitiv: des Black-out [s ], Plural: die Black-outs englisch blackout, eigentlich = Verdunkelung 1 a Medizin zeitweiliger Ausfall des Sehvermögens unter der Einwirkung hoher Beschleunigung oder bei Kreislaufstörungen b Medizin plötzlich auftretender, kurz dauernder Verlust des Bewusstseins, Erinnerungsvermögens umgangssprachlich als ich dem zugestimmt habe, hatte ich wohl einen Blackout war ich unaufmerksam, habe ich wohl nicht aufgepasst 2 a Physik Aussetzen des Empfangs von Kurzwellen durch den Einfluss von Korpuskular- und Röntgenstrahlen der Sonne b Raumfahrt Unterbrechung des Funkkontakts zwischen Raumschiff und Bodenstation 3 meist: der Blackout totaler Stromausfall (besonders in einer Großstadt )4 Militär nächtliches Verdunkeln von Objekten zum Schutz gegen einen Luftangriff 5 a Theater plötzliches Verdunkeln der Szene bei Schluss des Bildes im Theater (besonders nach Pointen im Kabarett )b Theater kleinerer Sketch, der mit einer scharfen Pointe und plötzlichem Verdunkeln endet
Black Panther
Black Pan ther Substantiv, maskulin , der |ˈblæk ˈpænθə |der Black Panther; Genitiv: des Black Panthers, Black Panther amerikanisch Angehöriger einer afroamerikanischen Organisation, deren Mitglieder die soziale Benachteiligung der Schwarzen zu beseitigen versuchen
Black Power
Black Po w er , Black Pow er Substantiv, feminin , die |ˈblɛk ˈpa͜uɐ |die Black Power; Genitiv: der Black Power englisch black power = schwarze Macht Bewegung nordamerikanischer Schwarzer gegen die Rassendiskriminierung (besonders in den 1960er -Jahren )
Black Tongue
Black Tongue Substantiv, feminin , die |ˈblɛk ˈtaŋ |die Black Tongue; Genitiv: der Black Tongue englisch ; »schwarze Haarzunge «1 Medizin krankhafte braune Verfärbung der Zunge [nmitte ]2 Schwarzzungenkrankheit des Hundes
Blacky
Bla cky Substantiv ohne Artikel |ˈblɛki |englisch Kosename für ein Wesen, das durch ein oder mehrere schwarze oder dunkle Merkmale gekennzeichnet ist
Spanish Dictionary
blackjack
blackjack nombre masculino 1 Juego de naipes de azar que se juega principalmente en los casinos y consiste en conseguir veintiún puntos exactos o en aproximarse lo más posible a ellos sin sobrepasarlos; inicialmente cada jugador recibe dos cartas y puede ir pidiendo más al crupier mientras no supere los veintiún tantos .2 Jugada de este juego que consiste en sumar un jugador en el reparto inicial los 21 puntos requeridos al reunir un as, que vale 11 puntos, y un diez o una figura, que valen 10 puntos .ETIMOLOGÍA Préstamo del inglés blackjack , compuesto por black ‘negro ’ y jack ‘sota ’.Se pronuncia aproximadamente ‘blacyak ’.
Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary
black
black /blæk /〖語源は 「燃えすすで黒くなった 」〗形容詞 ～er ; ～est 1 黒い , 黒色の (↔white )▸ a black dress [dog ]黒いドレス [犬 ]▸ black clouds 黒い雲 ▸ She has jet black hair .彼女はまっ黒な髪をしている 2 比較なし 〖時にB -〗黒人の [で ] (!黒人が自らをさす言葉として最も好んで用いる; →Negro ) ; 〖名詞 の前で 〗黒人に関する ▸ black Americans アフリカ系アメリカ人 (→African-American )▸ Half of the students in this school are black .この学校の生徒の半数は黒人だ ▸ black music 黒人音楽 3 比較なし 〈コーヒー 紅茶が 〉ミルクも砂糖も入っていない, ブラックの ▸ I'll take [have ] my coffee black .私はコーヒーをブラックでいただきます (!注文の時などに用いる; blackは補語の働き ) 4 〈手 服 空気などが 〉黒ずんだ, 汚れた, きたない (dirty )▸ I got my hands black with the work .仕事で手を黒く汚した 5 暗い, 真っ暗の ▸ the black sky 暗い空 ▸ The room is pitch black [black as night ].部屋は真っ暗だ 6 〈事態が 〉 (非常に )悪い, 悲観的な, 望みのない ; 険悪な ▸ a black day 悲惨な日 ▸ The future looks black for our company .我が社にとって前途は厳しそうだ 7 〖名詞 の前で 〗怒った, むっとした (angry )▸ a black mood 険悪な雰囲気 ▸ The man gave me a black look .その男はむっとして私を一瞥 （いちべつ ）した 8 ｟文 ｠邪悪な, 腹黒い (evil )(↔white )▸ a black heart 腹黒い心 ▸ He's not as black as he's painted .彼は評判ほどの悪人ではない 9 凝り固まった, 生粋の, まったくの ▸ a black villain 根っからの悪党 10 ｟主に英 ｠(ストで労働者に )ボイコットされた .bl à ck and bl ú e 〈皮膚が 〉 (なぐられて )あざのできた, 青黒くなった .g ò bl á ck 〈明かりが 〉消える ; 〈物が 〉 (暗やみで )見えなくなる ; 〈画面などが 〉真っ暗になる .名詞 複 ～s /-s /1 U 〖種類 具体例では 可算 〗黒 , 黒色 (↔white ).2 U 黒い服, 喪服 ▸ be in [wear ] black 喪服を着ている 3 C 〖時にB -; 通例 ～s 〗黒人 .4 〖the ～〗黒字 (↔red )▸ be in the black 黒字である, 儲かっている ▸ get into the black 黒字になる 5 U C 黒絵の具, 黒染料 ; 黒インク .6 C よごれ, 汚点 .in bl à ck and wh í te 印刷された文書の形で .pr ò ve [sw è ar ] bl à ck is wh í te 黒を白と言いくるめる, 目的のためには手段を選ばない .w ò rk like a bl á ck 懸命に働く .動詞 他動詞 1 ｟英 ｠〈労働組合が 〉 (他組合の争議に連帯して )〈商品 業務など 〉をボイコットする .2 ｟やや古 ｠…を黒くする; 〈靴 〉を磨く .bl à ck ó ut 〈人が 〉 (一時的に )気を失う .bl à ck A ó ut [ó ut A ]1 (検閲により )A 〈文字など 〉を黒く塗りつぶす ; A 〈映画 番組 出版物など 〉を上映 [放送, 出版 ]禁止とする .2 〖通例be ～ed out 〗(空襲に備えて )A 〈場所 建物など 〉が灯火管制される .3 〖be ～ed out 〗A 〈場所 建物が 〉停電する, 真っ暗になる .4 A 〈いやな記憶 〉を消し去る .bl à ck ú p 顔などを黒く塗る .～̀ Á frica ブラックアフリカ 〘サハラ砂漠以南のアフリカ 〙.～̀ and t á n 1 黒地に褐色のぶちの犬 〘テリア犬の一種 〙.2 〖通例B - and Tans 〗警備隊 〘1920 --21年アイルランド独立運動鎮圧のため英国政府により派遣された 〙.3 黒ビール (stout )と褐色ビール (bitter )を混合したもの .～̀ and wh í te ＝black-and-white .～̀ á rt 1 〖the ～s 〗＝black magic .2 ｟おどけて ｠〖the ～〗狡猾 （こうかつ ）な手段 .～̀ b á ss 〘魚 〙ブラックバス 〘米国産スズキの類の淡水魚 〙.～̀ b é ar 〘動 〙アメリカクロクマ .～́ b è etle ｟英 ｠ゴキブリ .～̀ b é lt 1 (柔道 空手などの )黒帯 ; (黒帯を持っている )有段者 .2 〖the ～〗(都市などの )黒人地帯 .3 〖the ～〗黒土地帯 〘米国Alabama, Mississippi両州沿岸地方; 綿花栽培の好適地 〙.～̀ b í le 黒胆汁 (→humor 4 ) 〘中世生理学で憂うつの原因と考えられていた 〙.～́ b ò ok 要注意者 [組織 ]名簿, ブラックリスト (blacklist ).～̀ b ó x 1 (飛行機の )フライトレコーダー (flight recorder ).2 〖通例単数形で 〗ブラックボックス 〘使い方はわかるがその仕組みがわからない装置 〙.～̀ br é ad (ライ麦の )黒パン .～̀ c á p (英国の裁判官の )黒い帽子 〘もと死刑宣告のとき着用した 〙.～̀ c ó medy ブラックコメディー 〘black humorを利かせた喜劇 〙.B -́ C ò untry 〖the ～〗ブラックカントリー 〘英国Birmingham一帯の重工業地域 〙.B -̀ D é ath 〖the ～; 単数形で 〗黒死病, ペスト .～̀ d í amond 1 黒色ダイヤ .2 〖～s 〗石炭 .～̀ d ó g ｟英 くだけて ｠〖the ～〗憂うつ, 不機嫌 .～̀ ec ó nomy 〖the ～〗やみ経済 〘税制を逃れて行われる非合法経済活動 〙.B -̀ É nglish (米国の )黒人英語 .～̀ é ye 1 〖通例単数形で 〗(なぐられてできた )目の周りの青あざ .2 ｟米 主に報道 ｠汚点, 不名誉 .～̀ fl á g 〖the ～〗1 (海賊船の )黒旗 .2 死刑終了合図の黒旗 .～̀ fl ý 〘虫 〙ブユ, ブヨ 〘ブユ科の昆虫の総称 〙.B -̀ Fr í ar (黒衣を着る )ドミニコ会修道士 .B -̀ Fr í day (不吉の )金曜日 〘キリストが十字架にかけられた日 〙.～̀ g ó ld ｟くだけて ｠石油 .～̀ go ó ds ｟英 ｠黒色家電用品 (→white goods (1 )) 〘電話 オーディオ機器など 〙.～̀ gr ó use [g á me ]〘鳥 〙クロライチョウ .～̀ h ó le 1 〘天 〙ブラックホール 〘超強重力により光さえ吸い込む天体 〙.2 ｟くだけて ｠〖通例単数形で 〗大きなむだ使い, 金食い虫 .3 ｟くだけて ｠絶望的な状況 .～̀ h ú mor ブラックユーモア .～̀ í ce 〖単数形で 〗(路面が凍結してできる )薄氷 〘一見して普通の路面と変わらないため車のスリップの原因となる 〙.～̀ kn í ght ブラックナイト, 黒い騎士 (→white knight ) 〘相手側の意向を無視して会社乗っ取りを画策する個人 会社 〙.～̀ l é ad 黒鉛 (graphite ).～̀ l é tter 〘印 〙ブラック体 〘「ひげ文字 」体の活字 〙.～̀ l í ght 不可視光線 〘赤 [紫 ]外線 〙.～́ l ì st ＝blacklist .～̀ l ú ng ｟米 くだけて ｠炭肺塵 （じん ）症 〘炭鉱労働者が患う 〙.～̀ m á gic (邪悪な目的の )黒魔術 (↔white magic ).～̀ mar í a ｟英 やや古 ｠〖しばしばB - M- 〗囚人護送車 .～̀ m á rk 汚点, 罰点 .～̀ m á rket 〖the ～; 単数形で 〗やみ市, «…の » やみ取引 «in » ▸ on the black market やみ市で ～̀ market é er やみ商人 .～̀ m á ss 〖しばしばB - M- 〗1 (黒衣をまとう )鎮魂のミサ .2 黒ミサ 〘悪魔崇拝者が行う 〙.B -̀ M ó nday 暗黒の月曜日 〘ニューヨーク証券取引所で株価が大暴落した1987年10月19日月曜日 〙.B -̀ M ó nk (黒衣を着る )ベネディクト会修道士 .B -̀ M ú slim ブラックムスリム 〘白人との分離を主張する米国の黒人イスラム教徒 〙.～̀ n á tionalist 黒人民族主義者 .～̀ n í ghtshade 〘植 〙イヌホオズキ .B -̀ P á nther ブラックパンサー, 黒豹 （ひよう ）党員 〘米国の戦闘的な黒人組織 〙.～̀ p é pper 黒コショウ .B -̀ P ó wer ブラックパワー 〘米国の黒人権利拡張運動 〙.～̀ p ú dding ｟主に英 ｠ブラックプディング 〘ブタの血を入れて作った黒っぽいソーセージ 〙.B -̀ R ó d (英国上院の )黒杖 （こくじょう ）官 〘儀式的なことを取り仕切る 〙.B -̀ S é a 〖the ～〗黒海 .～̀ sh é ep ｟非難して ｠〖通例単数形で 〗(家族 団体などの体面にかかわる )やっかい者, 持て余し者, ろくでなし .～́ sp ò t (!｟主に英 ｠) 1 (交通の )事故多発箇所 .2 (一般に )難所, 問題の多い箇所 .B -̀ Str é am 〖the ～〗黒潮, 日本海流 .～̀ st ú dies 黒人研究 .～̀ sw á n コクチョウ 〘豪州産の鳥 〙.～̀ t í e 黒蝶 （ちよう ）ネクタイ ; 男子の夜会用準正装, タキシード (→white tie ).～̀ v é lvet ブラックベルベット 〘スタウトとシャンペンで作ったカクテル 〙.～̀ w á lnut 〘植 〙クログルミ (の木 ); その木材 〘米国産の家具用材 〙.B -̀ W á tch 〖the ～〗ブラックウォッチ, 英国陸軍スコットランド高地連隊 .～̀ w à ter f é ver 黒水熱 〘尿がどす黒くなる重症のマラリア 〙.～̀ w í dow 〘虫 〙クロゴケグモ 〘猛毒 〙.
black-and-white
bl à ck-and-wh í te 形容詞 1 〈色彩 画像が 〉 (カラーでなく )白黒の ; 〈問題 状況が 〉違いの明確な, 単純明快な (!black and whiteとも書く; 特に be ～ではハイフン不要; ╳white-and-blackとしない ) .2 印刷された .
blackball
bl á ck b à ll 動詞 他動詞 〈入会候補者など 〉に反対投票する ; 【社会から 】〈人 〉を追放する «from » 〘昔, 反対は黒球で投票したことから 〙.名詞 C 反対投票 .
blackberry
bl á ck b è rry 名詞 複 -ries C ブラックベリー [クロイチゴ ] (の実 ).動詞 自動詞 ブラックベリーを摘む ▸ go blackberrying ブラックベリーを摘みに行く
BlackBerry thumb
Bl à ck Ber ry th ú mb /blæ̀kberi -/〖携帯情報端末の名前より 〗名詞 U 携帯情報端末過使用による親指障害 .
blackbird
bl á ck b ì rd 名詞 C 〘鳥 〙クロウタドリ 〘ヨーロッパ産ツグミ科の鳴鳥 〙; ｟米 ｠ムクドリモドキ (科の鳥 ).
blackboard
black board /blǽkbɔ̀ː r d /名詞 複 ～s /-dz /C (通例教室の )黒板 〘色は黒 黒っぽい緑; 単にboard, ｟米 ｠ではchalkboardともいう; →whiteboard 〙▸ the word written on the blackboard 黒板に書かれた単語 ▸ clean (off ) the blackboard 黒板をふく
blackcurrant
bl à ck c ú rrant 名詞 C 〘植 〙クロフサスグリ 〘ユキノシタ科の低木; 粒状の実は食用; →currant 〙.
blacken
black en /blǽk (ə )n /動詞 他動詞 1 …を黒く [暗く ]する .2 〈名誉 人格 〉を傷つける, 汚す, 中傷する .動詞 自動詞 黒く [暗く ]なる, 黒ずむ .
blackface
bl á ck f à ce 名詞 1 C (特にminstrel showの )黒人に扮した役者 .2 U 黒人役の扮装 .3 U ブラックフェイス 〘スコットランド産の顔の黒いヒツジ 〙.4 U 〘印 〙ボールド体 .
blackfish
bl á ck f ì sh 名詞 複 →fish C 1 〘動 〙ゴンドウクジラ .2 黒色の魚の総称 .
blackguard
black guard /blǽɡɑː r d, -ɡə r d / (! 語中のckは発音しない ) 名詞 C ｟古 ｠ごろつき, 悪党 .形容詞 口汚い, さげすんだ .動詞 他動詞 …をののしる .
blackhead
bl á ck h è ad 名詞 C 1 〖通例 ～s 〗(先が黒くなった )にきび, 吹き出物 .2 頭部の黒い鳥 .
blackhole
bl à ck h ó le 名詞 C 1 〘天 〙ブラックホール .2 ｟比喩的に ｠ブラックホールのような所 .
blacking
bl á ck ing 名詞 U ｟古 ｠黒色塗料 ; 靴墨 ; (労働組合が )仕事をボイコットすること .
blackish
black ish /blǽkɪʃ /形容詞 黒みがかった, 黒っぽい .
blackjack
bl á ck j à ck 名詞 1 U 〘トランプ 〙ブラックジャック (twenty-one ).2 C ｟主に米 ｠(太く短い )自在こん棒 (｟米 ｠sap, ｟英 くだけて ｠cosh ).3 C 〘植 〙ブラックジャック 〘オーク類の小木 〙.4 C (皮製の )大ジョッキ .5 C 海賊旗 .動詞 他動詞 ｟米 ｠〈人 〉を (こん棒で )打つ ; 脅迫する .
blackleg
bl á ck l è g 名詞 C ｟英 けなして ｠スト破りをする人 (strikebreaker ); イカサマ師, ペテン師 .動詞 →leg 自動詞 ｟英 ｠スト破りをする .
blacklist
bl á ck l ì st 名詞 C ブラックリスト, 要注意人物リスト .動詞 他動詞 〈人 組織など 〉をブラックリストに載せる .
blacklisting
bl á ck l ì sting 名詞 U ブラックリストに載せること .
blackly
bl á ck ly 副詞 ｟文 ｠暗く ; 怒って ; 意地悪く .
blackmail
bl á ck m à il 名詞 U 1 ゆすり, 恐喝 (で得た金 ).2 いやがらせ, 脅迫 .動詞 他動詞 〈人 〉をゆする ; 脅迫して «…» させる «into do ing » .～er 名詞 C 恐喝 [脅迫 ]者 .
blackness
bl á ck ness 名詞 U 1 黒さ, 暗黒, 暗やみ .2 陰うつさ ; 腹黒さ, 陰険 .
blackout
bl á ck ò ut 名詞 C 1 (電力供給停止による )暗やみ, 停電 (期間 )(→brownout ).2 報道管制 .3 (一時的 )意識 [視力 ]喪失 ; (事故 飲酒などによる )記憶の欠落 (期間 ).4 ｟主に米 ｠(割引航空運賃が適用されない )多客期 ; (施設 制度などが利用できない )空白期間 .5 ｟米 ｠(スポーツ行事の観客確保のための )地元での放送禁止 .6 (空爆に備えた )灯火管制 .7 〘劇 〙暗転 .8 (一時的 )通信途絶 .～̀ c ú rtain [dr á pery ]暗幕 .
blackshirt
bl á ck sh ì rt 名詞 C 〖しばしばB -〗(イタリアの )ファシスト党員 〘黒服を着用 〙; (右翼の )民族主義団体員 .
blacksmith
bl á ck sm ì th 名詞 C かじ屋, 蹄 （てい ）鉄工 (smith ).
blackthorn
bl á ck th ò rn 名詞 C 1 〘植 〙(欧州産の )リンボク ; (北米産の )サンザシ .2 1 で作った杖 （つえ ）[こん棒 ].
black-tie
bl à ck-t í e 形容詞 〈パーティ 夕食などが 〉正装の, 黒蝶 （ちよう ）ネクタイ着用の (→white-tie ).
blacktop
bl á ck t ò p (!｟米 ｠) 名詞 C U アスファルト舗装 (の道路 ).動詞 →top 1 他動詞 〈道路など 〉をアスファルトで舗装する .
The Wordsmith Dictionary