Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [blak]
- /blæk/
- /blæk/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [blak]
- /blæk/
Definitions of black word
- adjective black lacking hue and brightness; absorbing light without reflecting any of the rays composing it. 6
- colour black Something that is black is of the darkest colour that there is, the colour of the sky at night when there is no light at all. 4
- countable noun black Black people are sometimes referred to as blacks. This use could cause offence. 4
- adjective black A black person belongs to a race of people with dark skins, especially a race from Africa. 3
- adjective black Black coffee or tea has no milk or cream added to it. 3
- adjective black If you describe a situation as black, you are emphasizing that it is very bad indeed. 3
Information block about the term
Origin of black
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English blak, Old English blæc; cognate with Old High German blah-; akin to Old Norse blakkr black, blek ink
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Black
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
black popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
black usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for black
adj black
- jet — a compact black coal, susceptible of a high polish, used for making beads, jewelry, buttons, etc.
- slate — a fine-grained rock formed by the metamorphosis of clay, shale, etc., that tends to split along parallel cleavage planes, usually at an angle to the planes of stratification.
- onyx — Mineralogy. a variety of chalcedony having straight parallel bands of alternating colors. Compare Mexican onyx.
- coal — Coal is a hard black substance that is extracted from the ground and burned as fuel.
- sable — an Old World weasellike mammal, Mustela zibellina, of cold regions in Eurasia and the North Pacific islands, valued for its dark brown fur.
noun black
- afro-american — African-American
- negro — Anthropology. (no longer in technical use) a member of the peoples traditionally classified as the Negro race, especially those who originate in sub-Saharan Africa.
- african — African means belonging or relating to the continent of Africa, or to its countries or people.
Antonyms for black
adj black
- white — of the color of pure snow, of the margins of this page, etc.; reflecting nearly all the rays of sunlight or a similar light.
- hopeful — full of hope; expressing hope: His hopeful words stimulated optimism.
- optimistic — disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
- clean — Something that is clean is free from dirt or unwanted marks.
- happy — delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person.
noun black
- caucasian — A Caucasian person is a white person.
Top questions with black
- when is black friday?
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