Webster's English Dictionary

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black

1. black \'blak\ \-ish\ aj [ME blak, fr. OE blc; akin to OHG blah 
   black, L f]lagrare to burn, Gk phlegein, OE b-l fire - more at BALD 
   1a: of the color black  1b: very dark  2a: having dark skin, hair, and eyes 
   : SWARTHY  2b: of or relating to a group or race characterized by dark 
   pigmentation;  esp : NEGROID 3: dressed in black  4: SOILED, DIRTY  5a: 
   characterized by the absence of light {a ~ night}  5b: reflecting or 
   transmitting little or no light {~ water}  6a: thoroughly evil : WICKED {a 
   ~ deed}  6b: expressive of condemnation or discredit  7: invoking the 
   supernatural and esp. the devil  8a: GLOOMY, CALAMITOUS; specif : marked by 
   the occurre nce of disaster 8b: SULLEN, HOSTILE  9: COMPLETE, UTTER  - 
   black.ish aj
2. black n 1: a black pigment or dye; esp : one consisting largely of 
   carbon  2: the achromatic object color of least lightness 
   characteristically percei ved to belong to objects that neither reflect nor 
   transmit light 3: something that is black; esp : black clothing  4: a 
   person belonging to a dark-skinned race; also : one stemming i n part from 
   such a race 5: total or nearly total absence of light  6: the condition of 
   making a profit {in the ~} 
3. black vb : BLACKEN