\ ˈblak
\ 2 or Black a : of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin
black Americans b : of or relating to African American people or their culture
black literature a black college Black pride Black studies 5a : characterized by the absence of light
a black night
b : reflecting or transmitting little or no light
black water
c : served without milk or cream
black coffee
6a old-fashioned + literary : thoroughly sinister or evil : wicked When the King heard of this black deed, in his grief and rage he denounced relentless war against his Barons …— Charles Dickens b : 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 despair b : marked by the occurrence of disaster
black Friday
9a : characterized by hostility or angry discontent : sullen black resentment filled his heart b : distorted or darkened by anger
his face was black with rage
10 : having dark skin, hair, and eyes
the black Irish
11 chiefly British : subject to boycott by trade-union members as employing or favoring nonunion workers or as operating under conditions considered unfair by the trade union
a ship that was declared black by the union
12a of propaganda : conducted so as to appear to originate within an enemy country and designed to weaken enemy morale
Black propaganda … is the business of going to elaborate ends to spread half-true, misleading or downright false information to get your enemy in trouble.— Everett G. Martin
b : characterized by or connected with the use of black propaganda
Press reports say that in addition to dropping leaflets over urban areas, messages were broadcast over two "black" radio stations, … both of which were operated by the CIA. — Strategic Intelligence
14 : of or relating to covert intelligence operations
black government programs 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 sense 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 as
a : black clothing
looks good in black
b : 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 skin
b : african american Note:
Use of the noun black in the singular to refer to a person is considered offensive. The plural form blacks is commonly used to refer to black people as a group or community.
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 second
6 : total or nearly total absence of light
the black of night
7 : the condition of making a profit
—usually used with theoperating in the black — compare red sense 6 blacked; blacking; blacks
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
\ ˈblak
\ Hugo LaFayette 1886–1971 American jurist and politician
Sir James Whyte 1924–2010 British pharmacologist
1 river 101 miles (162 kilometers) long in east central Louisiana flowing south into the Red River
2 or in China Amo \ ˈä-ˈmō
\ or in Vietnam Da \ 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
Share black
Time Traveler for black
The first known use of black was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century