black box

1 of 2

noun

1
: a usually complicated electronic device whose internal mechanism is usually hidden from or mysterious to the user
broadly : anything that has mysterious or unknown internal functions or mechanisms
2
: a crashworthy device in aircraft for recording cockpit conversations and flight data
3
: a device in an automobile that records information (such as speed, temperature, or gasoline efficiency) which can be used to monitor vehicle performance or determine a cause in the event of an accident

black box

2 of 2

adjective

: being or containing a warning of a serious or life-threatening side effect (such as stroke or muscle damage) that is highlighted by a black border on a prescription drug's label or accompanying literature

Examples of black box in a Sentence

Noun The black boxes were recovered from the crash site and provided useful information about the cause of the crash.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The vessel did not have a traditional black box or voyage data recorder to record navigation data or audio on the bridge. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 21 Sep. 2024 Additionally, the installation, presented in a black box, is dramatically lit, with the lights oscillating up and down as if on a dimmer. Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 20 Sep. 2024
Adjective
The 200-person company, which operates physical locations resembling old-school general stores that also include black box theater spaces, rolled out a sweeping discount offer to pull in cash, founder and CEO Ben Kaufman said. Brian Cheung, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2023 Since then, most dating app companies take a black box approach and don’t talk publicly about what factors into their algorithms. WIRED, 14 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for black box 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black box.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black box was circa 1945

Dictionary Entries Near black box

Cite this Entry

“Black box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20box. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

black box

adjective
: being or containing a warning of a serious or life-threatening side effect (as stroke, muscle damage, or suicidal tendencies) that is highlighted by a black border on a prescription drug's label or accompanying literature
A "black box" warning is the most serious warning placed in the labeling of a prescription medication.Johnathan D. Rockoff, The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram

More from Merriam-Webster on black box

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