1of the very darkest colour owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light; the opposite of white:black smokeher long black hair
(of the sky or night) completely dark owing to the sun, moon, or stars not being visible:the sky was moonless and black
deeply stained with dirt:the walls were black with age and dirt
(of a plant or animal) dark in colour as distinguished from a lighter variety:Japanese black pine
(of coffee or tea) served without milk:a mug of black coffeeDoyle took his coffee black
of or denoting the suits spades and clubs in a pack of cards.
(of a ski run) of the highest level of difficulty, as indicated by black markers positioned along it.
2 (also Black) belonging to or denoting any human group having dark-coloured skin, especially of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry:black adolescents of Jamaican descent
relating to black people:black culture
3characterized by tragic or disastrous events; causing despair or pessimism:five thousand men were killed on the blackest day of the warthe future looks black
(of a person’s state of mind) full of gloom or misery; very depressed:Jean had disappeared and Mary was in a black mood
(of humour) presenting tragic or harrowing situations in comic terms:‘Good place to bury the bodies,’ she joked with black humour
full of anger or hatred:Rory shot her a black look
archaic very evil or wicked:my soul is steeped in the blackest sin
4denoting a covert military procedure:clearance for black operations came from the highest political level
5British dated (of goods or work) not to be handled or undertaken by trade union members, especially so as to express support for an industrial dispute elsewhere:the union declared the ship black
არსებითი სახელი
Universal
1 [mass noun] black colour or pigment:a tray decorated in black and green
black clothes or material, typically worn as a sign of mourning:only one or two of the mourners were in black
darkness, especially of night or an overcast sky:the only thing visible in the black was the light of the torch
(Black) the player of the black pieces in chess or draughts:Black’s king’s defences are somewhat weakened
[count noun] a black thing, in particular the black ball in snooker.
2 (also Black) a member of a dark-skinned people, especially one of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry:they tend to identify strongly with other blacks
3British informal blackcurrant cordial:a rum and black
ზმნა
Universal
1make (something) black, especially with polish:the steps of the house were neatly blacked
make (one’s face and other visible parts) black with polish or make-up so as not to be seen at night or to play the role of a black person in a play or film:white extras blacking up their faces to play Ethiopians
2British dated refuse to handle (goods), undertake (work), or have dealings with (a person or business) as a way of taking industrial action:the printers blacked firms trying to employ women
black someone's eye
hit someone in the eye so as to cause bruising:a woman capable of blacking the eye of any guest who wanted to slip out before the end
black-on-black
denoting harmful actions in which both the perpetrator and the victim are black:the American media was saturated with stories of black-on-black violence
in the black
not owing any money; solvent:an insurance company operating in the black will be able to pay for further growth
in someone's black books
informal in disfavour with someone.
look on the black side
informal view a situation from a pessimistic angle:I was looking on the black side and thought I would get a sentence of five years
men in black
informal anonymous dark-clothed men who supposedly visit people who have reported an encounter with a UFO or an alien in order to prevent them publicizing it:men in black suddenly appear on a UFO witness’s doorstep
the new black
a colour that is currently so popular that it rivals the traditional status of black as the most reliably fashionable colour:brown is the new black this season
something which is suddenly extremely popular or fashionable:retro sci-fi is the new black
not as black as one is painted
informal not as bad as one is said to be:Robert’s character could surely not be as black as Dawn had painted
black out
undergo a sudden and temporary loss of consciousness:they knocked me around and I blacked out
black something out
1extinguish all lights or completely cover windows, especially for protection against an air attack:the bombers began to come nightly and the city was blacked out (as adjective blacked out)a stretch limo with blacked-out windows
subject a place to an electricity failure:Chicago was blacked out yesterday after a freak flood
2obscure something completely so that it cannot be read or seen:the number plate had been blacked out with masking tape
(of a television company) decide not to broadcast a disputed or controversial programme:they blacked out the women’s final