bootblack

noun

boot·​black ˈbüt-ˌblak How to pronounce bootblack (audio)
: one who shines shoes

Examples of bootblack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yesterday, the Sun asked this question of a wide variety of people – an auxiliary policeman, a protest marcher, a steelworker, a politician, a barber, a bridegroom, a bootblack and others. Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2026 In these novels, the protagonists start at the bottom of the pyramid as stock boys, bootblacks, and immigrant buskers. Alissa Quart, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2023 With its title mocking the attempts of phrenology to diminish the worth of African Americans, Smith paints dignified portraits of everyday black people—a bootblack, a washerman—as examples of the unique personalities inherent to every human being. Bryan Greene, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bootblack was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Bootblack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bootblack. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

bootblack

noun
boot·​black ˈbüt-ˌblak How to pronounce bootblack (audio)
: a person who shines boots and shoes
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