<B>blackboard jungle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a school in which a condition of disorder and lawlessness exists. <DD><B> 2. </B>the condition itself. </DL>
<A NAME="blackbody">
<B>black body,</B> or <B>blackbody, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a theoretical surface or body capable of completely absorbing all the radiation falling on it. The energy radiated per second by each unit area of a perfect black body is proportional solely to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. </DL>
<A NAME="blackbook">
<B>black book,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a book containing the names of persons to be criticized or punished. <BR><I>expr. <B>be in one's black book,</B> </I>to have incurred one's displeasure; be out of one's favor. <BR> <I>Ex. This unfortunate youth is so deep in your black book (James Payn).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="blackbottom">
<B>black bottom,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a spirited solo dance popular especially in the 1920's. </DL>
<B>black box,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD><B> 1. </B>any self-contained electronic device in an aircraft as a complete unit. A black box may be used for controlling a mechanism or process, for obtaining and recording data, and for automatic landing. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar unit to detect nuclear explosions, to help enforce a nuclear test ban treaty, or to detect earthquakes. <DD><B> 3. </B>any unknown system, especially one considered solely in terms of input and output without an understanding of its workings. <BR> <I>Ex. The computer--for many purposes--may be thought of as a black box (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="blackboy">
<B>blackboy, </B>noun. =grass tree.</DL>
<A NAME="blackbrant">
<B>black brant,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a brownish black wild goose of North America. </DL>
<A NAME="blackbread">
<B>black bread,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a heavy, coarse, dark rye bread. </DL>
<B>blackbuck, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a medium-sized antelope common in India, black with white underneath. </DL>
<A NAME="blackburnianwarbler">
<B>Blackburnian warbler,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a North American warbler, the adult male of which has an orange-yellow and black head and neck and an orange-yellow breast. </DL>
<A NAME="blackbutt">
<B>blackbutt, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a species of eucalyptus cut for timber in Australia. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcancer">
<B>black cancer,</B> =melanoma.</DL>
<A NAME="blackcanon">
<B>black canon,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an Augustinian canon, so called from his black habit. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcap">
<B>blackcap, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(U.S.) <DD><B> a. </B>a black raspberry occurring wild in many parts of the United States, and also cultivated in several varieties. <DD><B> b. </B>its fruit. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various birds that have the top of the head black, such as the European warbler or the chickadee. <DD><B> 3. </B>(British.) the black skullcap put on by a judge sentencing someone to death. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcapitalism">
<B>black capitalism,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) the ownership and management of businesses by blacks, especially with government support. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcappedchickadee">
<B>black-capped chickadee,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the common chickadee of North America. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcappedvireo">
<B>black-capped vireo,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a vireo of the southern, central, and southwestern United States, having black feathers on the top and sides of its head. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcattle">
<B>black cattle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) cattle raised for beef, regardless of color, distinguished from dairy cattle. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcayuga">
<B>Black Cayuga,</B> =Cayuga duck.</DL>
<A NAME="blackchaser">
<B>black chaser,</B> =blacksnake.</DL>
<A NAME="blackcherry">
<B>black cherry,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an American wild cherry whose light, hard, strong, reddish wood is used for cabinetwork, interior finishing, and other woodworking. </DL>
<B>blackcock, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the male of the black grouse; heath cock. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcode">
<B>black code,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any of the various state laws that regulated the activities of blacks in the South after the Civil War, used generally to restrict the rights of blacks by circumscribing their right to hold office and vote, forbidding ownership of land or the bearing of arms, and curtailing other civil rights. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcoffee">
<B>black coffee,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> coffee without cream or milk. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcohosh">
<B>black cohosh,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a North American medicinal plant of the crowfoot family. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcomedy">
<B>black comedy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a type of comedy characterized by bizarrely or morbidly humorous plots and situations. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcottonsoil">
<B>black cotton soil,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a very thick, dark soil found in the Deccan of southern India. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcottonwood">
<B>black cottonwood,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a cottonwood of the northwestern United States. <DD><B> 2. </B>a tree of the willow family found in swampy ground in the southern and eastern United States. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcountry">
<B>Black Country,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the smoky, industrialized Midland area of England. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcrappie">
<B>black crappie,</B> =calico bass.</DL>
<A NAME="blackcrownednightheron">
<B>black-crowned night heron,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a heron common in most of the temperate regions, active chiefly at night. </DL>
<A NAME="blackcurrant">
<B>black currant,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a European currant with yellow-flowered racemes and black fruit, used in jams, jellies, and wine, though not good to eat raw. </DL>
<A NAME="blackdamp">
<B>blackdamp, </B>noun. =chokedamp.</DL>
<A NAME="blackdeath">
<B>Black Death,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the bubonic plague that spread through Europe in the 1300's and destroyed one-fourth of its population. </DL>
<B>black disease,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an acute, generally fatal disease of sheep caused by toxins from a bacterium which multiplies in the liver as a result of initial damage by the common liver fluke. </DL>
<A NAME="blackdog">
<B>black dog,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) bad humor; the blues. </DL>
<A NAME="blackdraft">
<B>black draft</B> or <B>draught,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a purgative medicine consisting of an infusion of senna, fennel, and magnesium sulfate. </DL>
<A NAME="blackduck">
<B>black duck,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a very common duck of eastern and central North America, having uniformly dark coloration. </DL>
<A NAME="blacken">
<B>blacken, </B>verb, <B>-ened,</B> <B>-ening.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make black. <BR> <I>Ex. Soot blackened the snow.</I> (SYN) darken. <DD><B> 2. </B>to speak evil of. <BR> <I>Ex. She blackened his character with false gossip.</I> (SYN) slander, defame. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to become black. <BR> <I>Ex. The sky blackened and soon it began to rain.</I> (SYN) darken. noun <B>blackener.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="blackenglish">
<B>Black English,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various dialects of English spoken by blacks, especially in the United States. <BR> <I>Ex. "Black English" is ... remarkably rich in nuances (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="blacker">
<B>blacker, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who blacks or blackens. </DL>
<A NAME="blackeye">
<B>black eye,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a bruise around an eye. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal.) <DD><B> a. </B>a severe blow or rebuff. <BR> <I>Ex. The insult gave his pride a black eye.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a cause of disgrace or discredit. <DD><B> c. </B>disgrace or discredit. <BR> <I>Ex. When they [surveys] are as far apart as these two studies, market testing gets a black eye (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="blackeyed">
<B>black-eyed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having eyes with a black or blackish-brown iris. <BR> <I>Ex. a black-eyed brunette.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having an eye blackened or bruised. </DL>
<A NAME="blackeyedpea">
<B>black-eyed pea,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the brownish seed of the cowpea, much used as food in the southern part of the United States. </DL>
<A NAME="blackeyedsusan">
<B>black-eyed Susan,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a yellow daisy with a black or dark center. It is a member of the composite family and is the state flower of Maryland. </DL>
<A NAME="blackface">
<B>blackface, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>a black minstrel, or an actor made up as a black. <DD><B> b. </B>the make-up for black parts in a show. <DD><B> c. </B>a show in which the actors are blacks or persons made up as blacks. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal.) <B>=boldface.</B> <DD><B> 3. </B>(British.) a hardy kind of sheep with a dark face. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or in blackface; having to do with blackface. </DL>
<A NAME="blackfaced">
<B>blackfaced, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having a black or blackened face. <DD><B> 2. </B>gloomy; dispirited; dejected. </DL>
<B>black fast,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a nonobligatory fast of the Roman Catholic Church in which the evening meal is restricted to bread and water. </DL>
<A NAME="blackfeet">
<B>Blackfeet, </B>noun pl. or sing.<DL COMPACT><DD> Blackfoot, a tribe of American Indians. </DL>
<A NAME="blackfellow">
<B>blackfellow, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a member of any native tribe of Australia. </DL>
<A NAME="blackfever">
<B>black fever,</B> =typhus.</DL>
<A NAME="blackfin">
<B>blackfin, </B>noun, pl. <B>-fins</B> or (collectively) <B>-fin.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a whitefish of Lake Michigan. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of certain other whitefishes. </DL>
