Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Black \Black\, a. [OE. blak, AS. bl[ae]c; akin to Icel. blakkr
   dark, swarthy, Sw. bl["a]ck ink, Dan. bl[ae]k, OHG. blach,
   LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not akin to AS.
   bl[=a]c, E. bleak pallid. ?98.]
   1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the
      color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark
      color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a
      color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.

            O night, with hue so black!           --Shak.

   2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in
      darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the
      heavens black with clouds.

            I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
                                                  --Shak.

   3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness;
      destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked;
      cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. ``This day's black
      fate.'' ``Black villainy.'' ``Arise, black vengeance.''
      ``Black day.'' ``Black despair.'' --Shak.

   4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen;
      foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.

   Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words;
         as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired,
         black-visaged.

   {Black act}, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a
      felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc., or to
      hunt or steal deer, etc., with the face blackened or
      disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for
      malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been
      called black acts.

   {Black angel} (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the West Indies and
      Florida ({Holacanthus tricolor}), with the head and tail
      yellow, and the middle of the body black.

   {Black antimony} (Chem.), the black sulphide of antimony,
      {Sb2S3}, used in pyrotechnics, etc.

   {Black bear} (Zo["o]l.), the common American bear ({Ursus
      Americanus}).

   {Black beast}. See {B[^e]te noire}.

   {Black beetle} (Zo["o]l.), the common large cockroach
      ({Blatta orientalis}).

   {Black and blue}, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh,
      which is accompanied with a mixture of blue. ``To pinch
      the slatterns black and blue.'' --Hudibras.

   {Black bonnet} (Zo["o]l.), the black-headed bunting ({Embriza
      Sch[oe]niclus}) of Europe.

   {Black canker}, a disease in turnips and other crops,
      produced by a species of caterpillar.

   {Black cat} (Zo["o]l.), the fisher, a quadruped of North
      America allied to the sable, but larger. See {Fisher}.

   {Black cattle}, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in
      distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng.]

   {Black cherry}. See under {Cherry}.

   {Black cockatoo} (Zo["o]l.), the palm cockatoo. See
      {Cockatoo}.

   {Black copper}. Same as {Melaconite}.

   {Black currant}. (Bot.) See {Currant}.

   {Black diamond}. (Min.) See {Carbonado}.

   {Black draught} (Med.), a cathartic medicine, composed of
      senna and magnesia.

   {Black drop} (Med.), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation
      consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar.
      

   {Black earth}, mold; earth of a dark color. --Woodward.

   {Black flag}, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a
      skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance.

   {Black flea} (Zo["o]l.), a flea beetle ({Haltica nemorum})
      injurious to turnips.

   {Black flux}, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal,
      obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of
      niter. --Brande & C.

   {Black fly}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) In the United States, a small, venomous, two-winged
          fly of the genus {Simulium} of several species,
          exceedingly abundant and troublesome in the northern
          forests. The larv[ae] are aquatic.
      (b) A black plant louse, as the bean aphis ({A. fab[ae]}).
          

   {Black Forest} [a translation of G. Schwarzwald], a forest in
      Baden and W["u]rtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient
      Hercynian forest.

   {Black game}, or {Black grouse}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Blackcock},
      {Grouse}, and {Heath grouse}.

   {Black grass} (Bot.), a grasslike rush of the species {Juncus
      Gerardi}, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay.

   {Black gum} (Bot.), an American tree, the tupelo or
      pepperidge. See {Tupelo}.

   {Black Hamburg (grape)} (Bot.), a sweet and juicy variety of
      dark purple or ``black'' grape.

   {Black horse} (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the Mississippi valley
      ({Cycleptus elongatus}), of the sucker family; the
      Missouri sucker.

   {Black lemur} (Zo["o]l.), the {Lemurniger} of Madagascar; the
      {acoumbo} of the natives.

   {Black list}, a list of persons who are for some reason
      thought deserving of censure or punishment; -- esp. a list
      of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made
      for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See
      {Blacklist}, v. t.

   {Black manganese} (Chem.), the black oxide of manganese,
      {MnO2}.

   {Black Maria}, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried
      to or from jail.

   {Black martin} (Zo["o]l.), the chimney swift. See {Swift}.

   {Black moss} (Bot.), the common so-called long moss of the
      southern United States. See {Tillandsia}.

   {Black oak}. See under {Oak}.

   {Black ocher}. See {Wad}.

   {Black pigment}, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance,
      or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of
      printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar.
      

   {Black plate}, sheet iron before it is tinned. --Knight.

   {Black quarter}, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a
      shoulder or quarter, etc., as of an ox.

   {Black rat} (Zo["o]l.), one of the species of rats ({Mus
      rattus}), commonly infesting houses.

   {Black rent}. See {Blackmail}, n., 3.

   {Black rust}, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist
      matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain.

   {Black sheep}, one in a family or company who is unlike the
      rest, and makes trouble.

   {Black silver}. (Min.) See under {Silver}.

   {Black and tan}, black mixed or spotted with tan color or
      reddish brown; -- used in describing certain breeds of
      dogs.

   {Black tea}. See under {Tea}.

   {Black tin} (Mining), tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed,
      stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form
      of a black powder, like fine sand. --Knight.

   {Black walnut}. See under {Walnut}.

   {Black warrior} (Zo["o]l.), an American hawk ({Buteo
      Harlani}).

   Syn: Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;
        Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.

Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed. {Muhlenbergia diffsa}. Orchard
grass, pasture and hay. {Dactylis glomerata}. Porcupine grass,
troublesome to sheep. Northwest. {Stipa spartea}. Quaking grass,
ornamental. {Briza media} and {maxima}. Quitch, or Quick, grass,
etc., a weed. {Agropyrum repens}. Ray grass. Same as {Rye grass}
(below). Redtop, pasture and hay. {Agrostis vulgaris}.
Red-topped buffalo grass, forage. Northwest. {Poa tenuifolia}.
Reed canary grass, of slight value. {Phalaris arundinacea}. Reed
meadow grass, hay. North. {Glyceria aquatica}. Ribbon grass, a
striped leaved form of {Reed canary grass}. Rye grass, pasture,
hay. {Lolium perenne}, var. Seneca grass, fragrant basket work,
etc. North. {Hierochloa borealis}. Sesame grass. Same as {Gama
grass} (above). Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native in
Northern Europe and Asia. {Festuca ovina}. Small reed grass,
meadow pasture and hay. North. {Deyeuxia Canadensis}. Spear
grass, Same as {Meadow grass} (above). Squirrel-tail grass,
troublesome to animals. Seacoast and Northwest. {Hordeum
jubatum}. Switch grass, hay, cut young. {Panicum virgatum}.
Timothy, cut young, the best of hay. North. {Phleum pratense}.
Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. {Holcus lanatus}. Vernal
grass, pasture, hay, lawn. {Anthoxanthum odoratum}. Wire grass,
valuable in pastures. {Poa compressa}. Wood grass, Indian grass,
hay. {Chrysopogon nutans}.

   Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
         true grasses botanically considered, such as black
         grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.

   {Black grass}, a kind of small rush ({Juncus Gerardi}),
      growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.

   {Grass of the Andes}, an oat grass, the {Arrhenatherum
      avenaceum} of Europe.

   {Grass of Parnassus}, a plant of the genus {Parnassia}
      growing in wet ground. The European species is {P.
      palustris}; in the United States there are several
      species.

   {Grass bass} (Zo["o]l.), the calico bass.

   {Grass bird}, the dunlin.

   {Grass cloth}, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
      grass-cloth plant.

   {Grass-cloth plant}, a perennial herb of the Nettle family
      ({B[oe]hmeria nivea or Urtica nivea}), which grows in
      Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
      strong fibers suited for textile purposes.

   {Grass finch}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) A common American sparrow ({Po["o]c[ae]tes
          gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
          {bay-winged bunting}.
      (b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Po["e]phila}, of
          which several species are known.

   {Grass lamb}, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
      and giving rich milk.

   {Grass land}, land kept in grass and not tilled.

   {Grass moth} (Zo["o]l.), one of many small moths of the genus
      {Crambus}, found in grass.

   {Grass oil}, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
      India from grasses of the genus {Andropogon}, etc.; --
      used in perfumery under the name of {citronella}, {ginger
      grass oil}, {lemon grass oil}, {essence of verbena} etc.
      

   {Grass owl} (Zo["o]l.), a South African owl ({Strix
      Capensis}).

   {Grass parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), any of several species of
      Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
      applied to the zebra parrakeet.

   {Grass plover} (Zo["o]l.), the upland or field plover.

   {Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum
      Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.

   {Crass quit} (Zo["o]l.), one of several tropical American
      finches of the genus {Euetheia}. The males have most of
      the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.

   {Grass snake}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The common English, or ringed, snake ({Tropidonotus
          natrix}).
      (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States.
          See {Green snake}, under {Green}.

   {Grass snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa
      maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.

   {Grass spider} (Zo["o]l.), a common spider ({Agelena
      n[ae]via}), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous
      when covered with dew.

   {Grass sponge} (Zo["o]l.), an inferior kind of commercial
      sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.

   {Grass table}. (Arch.) See {Earth table}, under {Earth}.

   {Grass vetch} (Bot.), a vetch ({Lathyrus Nissolia}), with
      narrow grasslike leaves.

   {Grass widow}. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
      strohwittwe a mock widow, Sw. gr["a]senka a grass widow.]
      (a) An unmarried woman who is a mother. [Obs.]
      (b) A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
          prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
          husband. [Slang.]

   {Grass wrack} (Bot.) eelgrass.

   {To bring to grass} (Mining.), to raise, as ore, to the
      surface of the ground.

   {To put to grass}, {To put out to grass}, to put out to graze
      a season, as cattle.