black /blak/

1. Of the darkest colour
2. Reflecting no light
3. Used as a classification of pencil leads to indicate softness in quality and darkness in use
4. Obscure
5. Dismal
6. Sullen
7. Bad-tempered, angry
8. Horrible
9. Grotesque, grimly humorous, making a joke of tragic or unpleasant aspects of life, as in black comedy or black humour
10. Dusky
11. Dirty
12. Malignant
13. Unlucky
14. Dark-haired
15. Wearing dark armour or clothes
16. (of coffee or tea) without milk or cream
17. Illicit
18. (of income) not reported in tax returns
19. Unofficial
20. Under trade-union ban
21. (the following senses often with cap) dark-skinned, of African, West Indian or Australian Aboriginal descent
22. Of African, Asian or mixed descent (esp S Afr)
23. (of an area or state) inhabited or controlled by black people
24. Of, belonging to, or relating to, black people

1. Black colour or absence of colour
2. (often with cap) a dark-skinned person, esp of African, West Indian or Australian Aboriginal descent
3. A black pigment
4. (usu with cap) in chess or draughts, the player with the black pieces
5. A smut
6. Smut fungus
7. Black clothes (formerly, still in Scotland, in pl)

1. To make black
2. To punch (someone's eye) so as to produce a black eye
3. To soil or stain
4. To draw in black
5. To blackmail (slang)
6. To put under trade-union ban, to boycott, ban

blackˈen transitive verb

1. To make black
2. To defame

To become black

blackˈing noun

A substance used for blacking leather, metal, etc

blackˈish adjective

blackˈly adverb

In an angry or threatening way

blackˈness noun

Black Africa noun

Africa south of the Sahara, where the population is mainly black

blackˈamoor noun (archaic)

A dark-skinned or black person

black-and-blueˈ adjective

Livid in colour because of bruising

black-and-tanˈ adjective and noun

1. (a dog) having black hair on the back, and tan or yellowish-brown elsewhere
2. (usu Black and Tan) (of) an armed auxiliary policeman in Ireland in the 1920s (from his khaki uniform with black cap and armlet)

noun

A drink that is a mixture of ale and stout or porter

black and white adjective

1. Partly black, partly white
2. Drawing or drawn in black on a white ground
3. Not in colour (cinematography, photography, TV)
4. Consisting of extremes, not admitting any middle ground

black art noun

Magic (perh a translation of L nigromantia, erroneously used for Gr nekromanteiā, see necromancy under necro-)

black-a-vised /blakˈə-vīst or -vīzd/ adjective

(perh Fr à vis in the face) swarthy

blackˈball transitive verb

1. To vote against (someone) by putting a black ball into a ballot box
2. To ostracize
3. To vote against, veto (a proposal)

blackˈballing noun

blackˈband noun

Iron ore containing enough coal to calcine it

black bass /bas/ noun

A N American freshwater fish (genus Micropterus)

black bean noun

1. An Australian tree, Castanospermum australe, with attractive wood
2. The wood of this tree
3. Any black bean of the genus Phaseolus
4. A soya bean, the seed of the plant Glycine max, used in Asiatic cookery after fermenting, salting and seasoning

black bear noun

An American or Asiatic bear, usu black but sometimes brown

black beetle noun

A cockroach

black belt noun

1. A belt showing the highest grade of proficiency in various martial arts
2. A person who has attained this grade
3. An area with rich dark soil (US)
4. A region of the Southern USA in which black people outnumber white people (US)

blackˈberry noun

1. The bramble or its fruit
2. In some districts, the blackcurrant or the bilberry

blackˈberrying noun

Gathering blackberries

blackˈbird noun

1. A species of thrush, the male of which is black with a yellow beak
2. A grackle or other bird of the family Icteridae (N American)
3. A Polynesian or black person recruited or kidnapped for labour (archaic sl)

blackˈbirder noun

A person or ship engaged in slave-trading

blackˈbirding noun

blackˈboard noun

1. A board with a black surface, for writing on with chalk
2. A similar board of any colour

blackˈ-boding adjective

Of evil omen

black body noun

A body or surface that absorbs all incident radiation, reflecting none

black body radiation noun

That emitted by a black body

black body temperature noun

That at which a black body would emit the same radiation as is emitted by a given radiator at a given temperature

black book noun

1. An important book bound in black
2. A book recording the names of persons deserving punishment (see also in someone's black books below)

black bottom noun

An American dance of the late 1920s

black box noun

1. A type of seismograph for registering underground explosions
2. A flight recorder
3. A device or unit, esp electronic, whose internal workings need not be understood by the user (computing, etc)

blackˈboy noun

An Australian grass-tree

black bread noun

Dark, coarse rye-bread

blackˈ-browed adjective

1. Having black eyebrows
2. Sullen, scowling

blackˈbuck noun

An Indian antelope, the male of which is dark-coloured

blackˈ-bullˈy noun

Sapodilla

black bun noun (Scot)

A rich dark fruitcake in a pastry case, traditionally eaten at New Year

black butt noun

Any of several Australian trees of the genus Eucalyptus, used for timber

black cabbage same as cavolo nero

blackˈcap noun

1. A warbler, the male of which has a black crown
2. An apple baked with a caramelized sugar coating
3. A black American raspberry

black cap noun (historical)

The cap put on by English judges to pronounce sentence of death

blackˈ-cat noun

The pekan

black cattle plural noun (archaic)

Cattle of any colour, orig from Wales or Scotland

black chalk noun

Bluish-black clay-slate, used for drawing, and for making black paint

blackˈ-coated adjective

1. Wearing a black coat
2. Of the professional class

blackˈcock noun

The male of the black grouse (see below)

Black Consciousness noun

(also without caps) a Black movement promoting and publicizing the separate cultural traditions of black society

Black Country noun

A heavily industrialized area of the West Midlands

blackcurrˈant noun

1. The small black berry of the garden shrub Ribes nigrum of the gooseberry genus
2. This shrub

black damp noun

Air in a mine in which the oxygen has been displaced by carbon dioxide

black death noun

(with the and usu with caps) a deadly epidemic of bubonic plague that swept over Asia and Europe, reaching England in 1348

black diamond noun

1. Same as carbonado²
2. (in pl) coal

black dog noun (informal; with the)

Depression, melancholy

black draught noun

A purgative medicine, chiefly senna and Epsom salts

black drop noun

A liquid preparation of opium, vinegar, and sugar

black earth noun

A fertile deposit covering wide regions in S Russia and in central India

black economy noun

Economic activity involving payment in kind or cash not declared for tax purposes

Black English noun (orig US)

Any of the varieties of English spoken by (esp urban) black people

black eye noun

1. An eye with darkened bruised swollen skin around it, usu resulting from a blow
2. An eye of which the iris is dark

black-eye bean , black-eyed bean, black-eye pea or black-eyed pea noun

1. The cowpea
2. (the seed of) a plant widely cultivated for its seed pods containing beans which are usually creamy-white with a ‘black eye’

black-eyed Susan noun

1. A N American composite plant of the Rudbeckia genus, whose flowers have dark centres and yellow or orange rays
2. A tropical African climbing plant (Thunbergia alata) that has yellow flowers with purple centres

blackˈface noun

1. A breed of sheep with a black face
2. Stage make-up for a white performer playing a black person
3. Such a performer

blackˈfaced adjective

blackˈ-fellow noun (Aust inf)

An Australian Aborigine

blackˈ-figure or blackˈ-figured adjective (ancient Greece)

Having black painted figures on a plain (usu red) clay ground (cf red-figure(d))

blackˈfish noun

1. A name given to several kinds of fish, eg the black ruff, a kind of perch
2. The pilot whale
3. A salmon after spawning

blackˈ-fisher noun

A poacher of fish by night

blackˈ-fishing noun

black flag noun

1. The flag of a pirate
2. The banner of anarchism
3. The flag hoisted at the execution of a criminal
4. The flag waved to call a driver in from a racing circuit

black-flagˈ transitive verb

To call in a driver by waving the black flag

black fly noun

1. A thrips or aphid that infests beans, etc
2. These insects collectively
3. Any of several black- or grey-bodied insects of the family Simuliidae, hump-backed bloodsuckers (also known as birch fly and buffalo gnat) some of which carry the nematode that causes onchocerciasis

Blackˈfoot noun (pl Blackˈfoot or Blackˈfeet)

A member of a tribe of Algonquin Native Americans (also adjective)

Black Forest gateau or Black Forest gateau cake noun

An elaborate rich chocolate cake filled and topped with cherries and cream

blackˈ-fox noun

The pekan

Black Friar noun

(also without caps) a Dominican, from his black mantle (over a white woollen habit)

black Friday noun

1. Good Friday
2. An unlucky Friday
3. The Friday after Thanksgiving Day, regarded by retailers as the beginning of the highly profitable Christmas shopping season (US)

black frost noun

Frost without rime or snow

blackˈgame noun

Black grouse

black gold noun (informal)

Oil

black gram same as urd

black grouse noun

A large N European grouse, the male of which (blackˈcock) is black with a lyre-shaped tail, and the female of which is called a greyˈhen

blackguard /blagˈgärd/ noun (somewhat old)

A contemptible scoundrel (also adjective)

transitive verb

To vituperate

intransitive verb

To play the blackguard

blackˈguardism noun

blackˈguardly adjective and adverb

black guillemot noun

A guillemot native to N Atlantic coasts which has mainly black summer plumage

black hand noun

(usu with caps) a secret society or underground influence

blackˈ-hat hacker noun

A computer hacker who tries to break into a system to perform acts of sabotage (cf white-hat hacker)

blackˈhead noun

1. An accumulation of sebum in a pore or hair follicle, a comedo
2. A bird of various kinds, such as the blackheaded gull
3. An infectious disease of turkeys, pheasants and other fowl

blackˈheaded adjective

Having a black head

blackˈheart noun

A dark kind of cherry

black-heartˈed adjective

Having an evil disposition

black hole noun

1. A punishment cell, esp (with caps) that at Calcutta in which 123 of 146 British prisoners were alleged to have died of suffocation in 1756
2. A region of space-time from which matter and energy cannot escape, inferred to exist where a massive star has collapsed (astronomy)

black house noun

An obsolete type of house in the Scottish highlands and islands, built of turf

black ice noun

A thin layer of transparent ice on a road

blackˈjack noun

1. Vingt-et-un, or a game like it
2. A combination of an ace and a face card in the game of blackjack
3. A large jug for holding drink, orig made of leather
4. A pirate flag
5. Zinc blende
6. A short leather-covered club with weighted head (N American)

transitive verb (N American)

To hit with a blackjack

black knight noun (stock exchange)

A person making an unwelcome bid to take over a company

blackˈlead noun

Graphite used in making pencils, blacking grates, etc

blackˈleg noun

1. A worker continuing to work during a strike or one taking a striker's place (derogatory)
2. The disease black-quarter
3. Any of a number of diseases of vegetables
4. A swindler, esp at a racecourse

intransitive verb

To work as a blackleg

black letter noun

The Old English typeface (also called Gothic)

black light noun

Invisible infrared or ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation

blackˈlist noun

A list of defaulters or persons convicted or suspected of something, disapproved of, or who are liable to loss of employment or lack of full recognition because of their (usu political) views

transitive verb

To put on a blacklist

blackˈlisting noun

black lung noun

A lung disease that affects miners, pneumoconiosis

black magic see under magic

black Maria /mə-rīˈə/ noun

1. A van for transporting prisoners
2. Hearts (the card game)
3. A shell that emits dense black smoke, or a gun discharging it (obs milit sl)

black mark noun

Something known or noted to one's discredit

black market noun

Buying and selling (esp of scarce products) that is against the law or official regulations

black-marketeerˈ noun

A person who operates on the black market

black mass noun

A travesty of the Roman Catholic mass practised in devil-worship

black Monday noun

1. Easter Monday
2. (the day of) the international stock-market crash in October 1987
3. The day of return to school

black money noun

Income not reported for tax purposes

Black Monk noun

A Benedictine (also without caps)

Black Muslim noun

A member of a militant African-American Muslim sect

black nationalism noun

(also with caps) a movement aimed at increasing Black self-determination and reducing White influence in all areas with a black population

black nationalist noun

black op noun (milit sl)

A covert operation

blackˈout noun

1. Total extinction or concealment of lights
2. A failure or cut in electrical power
3. A sudden loss of consciousness, or failure of the mind to work
4. A complete stoppage or suppression (of news, communications, etc)
5. A stoppage in the transmission of radio or television programmes
6. A break in radio communication. See also black out below

adjective

For blacking out windows, etc with

Black Panther noun

A member of a militant Black political movement formed in the 1960s with the aim of ending domination by white people

black paper noun

An unofficial document similar in form to a government white paper, criticizing official policy

black pepper noun see pepper

blackˈpoll noun

A N American warbler with a black and white head

Black Pope noun (derogatory)

The head of the Jesuits

black powder noun

Gunpowder used in quarry work

Black Power noun

(also without caps) a militant movement to increase the influence of black people, esp in the US

black pudding noun

A dark sausage made with pig's blood and other materials

black-quartˈer noun

An apoplectic disease of cattle and sheep

black rat noun

The smaller of the two British rats (usu brown)

black rhinoceros noun

A two-horned African rhinoceros with a prehensile upper lip

black robin noun

An extremely rare NZ bird, Petroica traversi

Black Rod noun

1. The usher of the chapter of the Garter and of the House of Lords, who summons the Commons at the opening of the UK Parliament
2. A similar officer in Commonwealth parliaments

black rot noun

Any disease of plants, vegetables or fruit in which parts turn black

Black Russian noun

A cocktail consisting of vodka and Kahlúa

black sheep noun

A disreputable member of a family or group

Blackˈshirt noun

A member of a Fascist organization, esp in the Nazi SS and in Italy during World War II

blackˈsmith noun

A smith who works in iron

black smoker noun (geology)

An underwater volcanic spring, a deep-sea vent that sends out water rich in chemicals and mineral particles

black snake noun

1. A large agile non-poisonous snake (Coluber constrictor) (US)
2. A very venomous snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), closely related to the cobra (Aust)
3. A long whip

black spot noun

1. The name given to disease of various plants, eg roses
2. An area which has bad conditions or a bad record for a specified trouble

Black Stone noun

A piece of black basalt in the Kaaba, sacred to Muslims

black stump noun (Aust and NZ)

A mythical distance-marker on the edge of civilization (esp in beyond the black stump in the far outback)

black swan noun

1. A swan with black plumage and a red beak, native to Australia
2. Something rare or non-existent (old)

blackˈ-tailed deer noun

The mule deer

blackˈthorn noun

1. A dark-coloured thornbush bearing sloes, with white flowers that appear before its leaves in March and April
2. A walking-stick made from its stem

black tie noun

A man's black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket

adjective

(of an occasion) formal, at which a dinner jacket should be worn

blackˈtop noun (esp N American)

1. Bituminous material used for surfacing roads, etc
2. A road so surfaced

transitive verb

To surface a road with blacktop

black velvet noun

Champagne mixed with stout

blackˈ-visaged adjective

Having a black visage or appearance

black vomit noun

Vomit containing blood, usu being a sign of some disease, eg yellow fever

blackˈwash noun

1. A lotion of calomel and lime-water
2. Anything that blackens

• first-floor
• first flush
• first-foot
• first-footed
• first-footer
• first-footers
• first-footing
• first-foots
• first-fruit
• first-fruits
• first gear
• first generation
• first-hand
• first in, first out
• first intention healing
• First International
• first joint
• first ladies
• first lady
• first lieutenant
• first lieutenants
• first light
• firstling
• firstlings
• firstly