black Hear it!

black definition

black (blak)

adjective

  1. opposite to white; of the color of coal or pitch
    1. designating or of any of the dark-skinned traditional inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, or Melanesia or their descendants in other parts of the world
    2. by, for, or about black people as a group; specif., in the U.S., by, for, or about black Americans black studies
    1. totally without light; in complete darkness
    2. very dark
  4. without cream, milk, etc.: said of coffee
  5. soiled; dirty
  6. wearing black clothing
  7. evil; wicked; harmful
  8. disgraceful
  9. full of sorrow or suffering; sad; dismal; gloomy
  10. disastrous
  11. sullen or angry black looks
  12. without hope a black future
  13. inveterate; confirmed; deep-dyed a black villain
  14. humorous or satirical in a morbid or cynical way black comedy
  15. secret; covert; hidden a CIA black operator

Etymology: ME blak < OE blæc < IE *bhleg-, burn, gleam (> L flagrare, flame, burn) < base *bhel-, to gleam, white: orig. sense, “sooted, smoke-black from flame”

noun

    1. black color
    2. a black pigment, paint, or dye
  2. any substance or thing that is black
  3. a spot or area that is black
  4. black clothes, esp. when worn in mourning
  5. a member of a black people
  6. complete darkness or absence of light
  7. Chess the player or side with the black or darker-colored pieces

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. to make black; blacken
  2. to polish with blacking

Related Forms:

black Idioms

black out

  1. to cover (writing, printing, etc.) with black pencil marks or paint
  2. to cause a blackout in
  3. to lose consciousness; faint
  4. to lose all memory of an event or fact

in the black

☆

Etymology: from the practice of entering a credit item in account books with black ink

operating at a profit

into the black

☆
into a profitable condition financially
Black definition

Black (blak)

Black, Hugo (La Fayette) 1886-1971; U.S. jurist: associate justice, Supreme Court (1937-71)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business black definition - business

idioms black idiom

medical Black definition - medical

black Synonyms

black

modif.

  1. Opposite to white

    dark, blackish, ebony, jet, inky, raven, coal-black, dusky, dingy, murky, inklike, livid, somber, swarthy, swart, pitch-black, black as coal, black as pitch, black as jet, black as night, sooty, raven-hued, sable, somber, gun-metal, flat black, jet black, nigrous, nigrescent, atramentous, ebon-hued, black as the ace of spades*, black as a crow*.

    Antonyms white*, colored*, colorful. *

  2. Without light

    gloomy, shadowy, clouded, pitch-dark; see dark 1.

  3. Negroid; often capitalized

    Negro, African, African-American, colored, dark-skinned, black-skinned, dark-complexioned, Afro-American, Ethiopian, Nubian, Negrito, Melanesian, swarthy, dusky; see also African 2.

    Antonyms white, Caucasian, fair-skinned.

  4. Unpropitious

    threatening, foreboding, sinister; see ominous.

  5. Angry

    fierce, enraged, sour; see angry.

  6. Evil

    villainous, mean, diabolical; see harmful, wicked 1.

  7. Dirty

    soiled, stained, dingy; see dirty 1.

  8. Dismal

    melancholy, gloomy, somber, pessimistic; see dismal 1.


black

n.

  1. A chromatic color least resembling white

    lampblack, carbon, jet, sable, ebony, darkest gray, charcoal, blackness, darkness.

    Antonyms white*, blond*, brightness. *

  2. A Negro; often capitalized

    black person, black man, black woman, African-American, person of color, Negro, African, colored person, colored man, colored woman, Afro-American, soul brother, soul sister, blood*; see also Negro.

in the black

successful, lucrative, gainful, operating at a profit; see profitable.


black

v.

darken, make black, blacken; see shade 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

black Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • solid: The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio, anamorphic, with strong hues and solid blacks.

Noun used with modifier

  • non-hispanics: Are children of percentage points and non-hispanics blacks are.

Modifies a noun

  • hole: The minimal plot takes your spacecraft into a black hole where you will find green crystal towers which you must avoid or destroy.

Used with adjective complement

  • gloss: Color matched or gloss black for most japanese superbikes.

Noun used with modifier

  • kettle: This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black in my opinion.
black usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

black quotes

   A reader seldom peruses a book with pleasure until he knows whether the writer of it be a black man or a fair man, of a mild or choleric disposition, married or a bachelor.

-Addison,Joseph

If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat.

-Angelou, Maya originally MayaJohnson

There is a kind of strength that is almost frightening in black women. It's as if a steel rod runs right through the head down to the feet.

-Angelou, Maya originally MayaJohnson

black quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"black." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/black>

APA Style

black. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/black

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment