BLACK–adjective 1. lacking hue and brightness; absorbing light without reflecting any of the rays composing it. 2. characterized by absence of light; enveloped in darkness: a black night. 3. (sometimes initial capital letter) a. pertaining or belonging to any of the various populations characterized by dark skin pigmentation, specifically the dark-skinned peoples of Africa, Oceania, and Australia. b. African-American. 4. soiled or stained with dirt: That shirt was black within an hour. 5. gloomy; pessimistic; dismal: a black outlook. 6. deliberately; harmful; inexcusable: a black lie. 7. boding ill; sullen or hostile; threatening: black words; black looks. 8. (of coffee or tea) without milk or cream. 9. without any moral quality or goodness; evil; wicked: His black heart has concocted yet another black deed. 10. indicating censure, disgrace, or liability to punishment: a black mark on one's record. 11. marked by disaster or misfortune: black areas of drought; Black Friday. 12. wearing black or dark clothing or armor: the black prince. 13. based on the grotesque, morbid, or unpleasant aspects of life: black comedy; black humor. 14. (of a check mark, flag, etc.) done or written in black to indicate, as on a list, that which is undesirable, sub-standard, potentially dangerous, etc.: Pilots put a black flag next to the ten most dangerous airports. 15. illegal or underground: The black economy pays no taxes. 16. showing a profit; not showing any losses: the first black quarter in two years. 17. deliberately false or intentionally misleading: black propaganda. 18. British. boycotted, as certain goods or products by a trade union. 19. (of steel) in the form in which it comes from the rolling mill or forge; unfinished. –noun 20. the color at one extreme end of the scale of grays, opposite to white, absorbing all light incident upon it. 21. (sometimes initial capital letter) a. a member of any of various dark-skinned peoples, esp. those of Africa, Oceania, and Australia. b. African-American. 22. black clothing, esp. as a sign of mourning: He wore black at the funeral. 23. Chess, Checkers. the dark-colored men or pieces or squares. 24. black pigment: lamp black. 25. Slang. black beauty. 26. a horse or other animal that is entirely black. –verb (used with object) 27. to make black; put black on; blacken. 28. British. to boycott or ban. 29. to polish (shoes, boots, etc.) with blacking. –verb (used without object) 30. to become black; take on a black color; blacken. –adverb 31. (of coffee or tea) served without milk or cream.