Definition of black
1a : of the color black (see 2black 2) a black sweater a black dog as black as coalb (1) : very dark in color his face was black with rage (2) : having a very deep or low register (see 1register 4b) a bass with a black voice (3) : heavy, serious the play was a black intrigue
2a : having dark skin, hair, and eyes : swarthy the black Irishb (1) often capitalized : of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin black Americans (2) : of or relating to the African-American people or their culture black literature a black college black pride black studies (3) : typical or representative of the most readily perceived characteristics of black culture trying to sound black tried to play blacker jazz
3 : dressed in black (see 2black 2) playing for the black team
5a : characterized by the absence of light a black nightb : reflecting or transmitting little or no light black waterc : served without milk or cream black coffee
6a : thoroughly sinister or evil : wicked a black deedb : indicative of condemnation or discredit got a black mark for being late
7 : connected with or invoking the supernatural and especially the devil black magic the black arts
8a : very sad, gloomy, or calamitous black despairb : marked by the occurrence of disaster black Friday
blackly
adverbblackness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of black in a Sentence
a little black dress blends into the night very well
Recent Examples of black from the Web
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This is a confit of leg that's been brined in a classic pastrami mix of pickling spices and rubbed with coriander and black pepper.
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His face is as black as charcoal while his hair is as white as snow.
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The nation’s shipments have been affected by the drought as Kenya is the world’s biggest exporter of black tea and supplies about a third of the flowers sold in the European Union.
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While the population of Washington, D.C., is around 50 percent black, these residents represent just 2 percent of the city’s bike-share users.
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There's also a black-box theater on the first floor.
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But the trial also probed a question that’s more consequential in the long term: Whether the 2013 Legislature intentionally minimized the political clout of Latino and black Texans in enacting the maps.
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Culina’s dineL.A. menu: cauliflower tortino with black summer truffle sauce, gnochetti with pesto and almonds, and more.
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As well as being the country’s least effective, its schools have the highest share of black pupils.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of black
Middle English blak, from Old English blæc; akin to Old High German blah black, and probably to Latin flagrare to burn, Greek phlegein
black
Definition of black
1 : a pigment or dye of the color black : a black pigment or dye; especially : one consisting largely of carbon
2 : the achromatic (see achromatic 3) color of least lightness characteristically perceived to belong to objects that neither reflect nor transmit light walls painted in black
3 : something that is black: such asa : black clothing looks good in blackb : a black animal (such as a horse)c baseball : the narrow, black edge of home plate a pitch on the black [=a pitch that crosses over the very edge of home plate]
4a : a person belonging to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skinb : african-american a position supported by both blacks and whites blacks and other people of color
5 in board games : the pieces of a dark color in a board game for two players (such as chess) black moves first
6 : total or nearly total absence of light the black of night
7 : the condition of making a profit —usually used with the operating in the black — compare red
Examples of black in a Sentence
The wall was painted in black.
a mixture of grays and blacks
She was dressed in black.
Recent Examples of black from the Web
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For years, blacks scaffolding surrounded the building.
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Eighty-nine percent of blacks and 71 percent of Hispanics backed it.
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A jury of four blacks and eight whites found Dominique Heaggan-Brown, a former Milwaukee police officer, not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide in the shooting of 23-year-old Sylville Smith during a foot chase.
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Howard was a co-founder of the National Bar Association, which originally served as an alternative to the American Bar Association when blacks were not allowed into the organization.
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The 12 jurors, which included two blacks, were left to sort through the varying accounts from Reynolds and Yanez.
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After three white alternates were dismissed following closing arguments, the 12-member jury includes two blacks.
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Similarly, while 14.9 percent of white patients received cardiac testing before cataract surgery, the figures for blacks and Hispanics were higher, 17.3 and 20.5 percent, respectively.
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Without adjusting for inflation, taxpayers would be in the black after a term of just 125 years.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of black
see 1black
black
Definition of black
intransitive verb
: to become black (see 1black)
transitive verb
1 : to make black blacked his boots
2 chiefly British : to declare (something, such as a business or industry) subject to boycott by trade-union members
Examples of black in a Sentence
He blacked his boots with polish.
Labor union members have blacked the company.
Recent Examples of black from the Web
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When the packet arrived two days after Christmas, much of it was blacked out and useless.
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The congregation has marched in the Pride Parade for 20 years and supported Muslim communities and Black Lives Matter. among other social causes.
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Trujillo, who has an R&B, funk and jazz background as a bassist, grew up listening to his parents' Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones albums, then drifted on his own to Black Sabbath and Motorhead.
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Bxb7 (A mistake that gives Black a small advantage.
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The company also plans new slot products not currently available in New Jersey, but state regulators blacked out details.
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At least two of the officers blacked out in their rooms, apparently in the company of two local women, while another officer drew cash advances off his U.S. government travel card and brought two prostitutes to his room, according to the report.
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Black-and-White didn't respond to a request for comment.
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This has been true for two decades, ever since the expansion franchise rolled onto Broadway and convinced famous local female artists to pose for billboard ads with their front teeth blacked out.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of black
see 1black
Black
playDefinition of Black
Hugo LaFayette 1886–1971 American jurist and politician
Black
Definition of Black
Sir James Whyte 1924–2010 British pharmacologist
Black
Definition of Black
1 river 101 miles (162 kilometers) long in east central Louisiana flowing south into the Red River
2 or in China Amoplay \ˈä-ˈmō\ or in Vietnam Daplay \ˈdä\ river 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in southeastern Asia rising in central Yunnan, China, and flowing southeast to the Red River in northern Vietnam
Financial Definition of BLACK
black
What It Is
Black is slang for profit. Profit, also called net income, is the amount remaining after all costs, depreciation, interest, taxes, and other expenses have been deducted from total sales. Profit is also referred to as the bottom line, net profit, or net earnings. The formula for profit is:
Total Sales - Total Expenses = Profit
Note that preferred stock dividends are typically included in the traditional net income calculation, but common stock dividends are not.
How It Works
Here is some information about Company XYZ for last year:
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Using the formula and the information above, we can calculate that Company XYZ's profit was:
$1,000,000 - $500,000 - $300,000 - $100,000 - $5,000 + $1,000 - $10,000 - $10,000 = $76,000
This means that Company XYZ made $76,000 of profit last year. It was “in the black.”
Why It Matters
Philosophically speaking, being in the black is what motivates industry, entrepreneurship, and innovation. It is the very thing that enables people to feed themselves, clothe their families, create jobs, and set money aside for the future. It is not a vice, but rather an incentive to dream, take risks, and try harder. As Adam Smith, the founder of modern economics, put it, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”
In the retail industry, companies often don’t become profitable until the fourth quarter, when Christmas shopping begins. This is the source of the term “Black Friday.”
BLACK Defined for English Language Learners
black
playDefinition of black for English Language Learners
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: having the very dark color of coal or the night sky
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: very dark because there is no light
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: of or relating to a race of people who have dark skin and who come originally from Africa
black
Definition of black for English Language Learners
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: the dark color of coal or the night sky
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: black clothing
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: a person belonging to a race of people who have dark skin : a black person
black
Definition of black for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) black
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: to refuse to work for or with (a business, employer, etc.) or to buy (goods, services, etc.)
BLACK Defined for Kids
Definition of black for Students
blacker
;blackest
1 : of the color of coal : colored black
2 : very dark a black night
3 often cap : of or relating to any peoples having dark skin and especially any of the original peoples of Africa south of the Sahara
4 : of or relating to Americans having ancestors from Africa south of the Sahara
5 : wicked 1 a black deed
6 : very sad or gloomy in a black mood
7 : unfriendly 1 a black look
blackish
adjectiveblackness
nounDefinition of black for Students
1 : the color of coal : the opposite of white
2 : black clothing He is dressed in black.
3 : a person belonging to a race of people having dark skin
4 : an American having black African ancestors : african-american
5 : total or near total darkness the black of night
6 : the condition of making a profit The company is in the black.
Learn More about black
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See words that rhyme with black Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for black Spanish Central: Translation of black Nglish: Translation of black for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of black for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black
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