black hole

noun

1
: a celestial object that has a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape it and that is believed to be created especially in the collapse of a very massive star
2
: something resembling a black hole: such as
a
: something that consumes a resource continually
a financial black hole
b
: an empty space : void
… the archives of the past few years are a black hole.David Herman
c
: a dark and seemingly inescapable state or situation
the black hole of depression

Examples of black hole in a Sentence

discovered that there was a black hole in the library's collection with regard to her topic
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.
When virtual particle pairs pop into existence at the edge of black holes, sometimes the black hole’s gravity grabs one partner while the other escapes. Dipangkar Dutta, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025 All three new objects sit in clusters weighing about 100 trillion Suns, hinting that black hole jets colliding with dense cosmic environments may be central to their formation. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025 This black hole fuels the colossal jet, which serves as a natural laboratory for some of the universe's most extreme physics. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2025 The very first black hole ever directly imaged was at the center of the giant elliptical galaxy, Messier 87, which sits at the heart of this galaxy cluster. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black hole

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of black hole was in 1964

Cite this Entry

“Black hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20hole. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

black hole

noun
: an invisible region believed to exist in space having a very strong gravitational field and thought to be caused by the collapse of a star

More from Merriam-Webster on black hole

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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