black death

noun, often capitalized B&D

|Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of black death

1 : plague 2b

2 : a severe epidemic of plague and especially bubonic plague that occurred in Asia and Europe in the 14th century

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Recent Examples of black death from the Web

In 1910, after Mr. Johnson knocked out Jim Jeffries, a white boxer, riots broke out that led to mostly black deaths at the hands of white mobs.

— New York Times, "After Sylvester Stallone Call, Trump Considers ‘Full Pardon’ of Long-Dead Boxer," 21 Apr. 2018
Representations of black death at the hands of the state take many forms over the course of Seasons 3 and 4.

— tanisha c. ford, The Atlantic, "The Episode That Captured the Best and Worst of Scandal," 19 Apr. 2018
The trauma of black death at the hands of police is exhausting for us all.

— monique judge, The Root, "#StephonClark: Family, NAACP and National Action Network Give News Conference At Sacramento City Hall," 26 Mar. 2018
Adeyemi focuses on the obstacles to Zélie’s mission, staging scenes that obviously parallel the spectacle of police brutality and black death in America.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "Where Fantasy Meets Black Lives Matter," 6 Mar. 2018
The models are given short paragraphs taken from more than 500 Wikipedia pages spanning a range of subjects, including Jacksonville, Florida; economic inequality; and the black death.

— drew harwell, The Seattle Times, "AI’s ability to read is hailed as milestone, but there’s still long way to go," 21 Jan. 2018
Unfortunately, the nation of 24 million has a point of infamy these days: The island nation is the site of the black death, the very same plague that decimated Europe many centuries ago.

— angela helm, The Root, "124 Dead in Outbreak of the Bubonic Plague in Madagascar (We Kid You Not)," 25 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black death.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of black death

from the black patches formed on the skin of its victims

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1755

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

black death

noun

variants: or Black Death

medical Definition of black death

: plague 2; also : a severe epidemic of plague and especially bubonic plague that occurred in Asia and Europe in the 14th century

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See words that rhyme with black death Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black death

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black death

Definition of black death

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Origin and Etymology of black death

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black death

medical Definition of black death

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black death

Definition of black death

Recent Examples of black death from the Web

Origin and Etymology of black death

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black death

medical Definition of black death

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