The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Black \Black\ (bl[a^]k), a. [OE. blak, AS. bl[ae]c; akin to
Icel. blakkr dark, swarthy, Sw. bl[aum]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. [root]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.
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O night, with hue so black! --Shak.
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2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in
darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the
heavens black with clouds.
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I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
--Shak.
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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.
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4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen;
foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
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Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words;
as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired,
black-visaged.
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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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), the common American bear (Ursus
Americanus).
Black beast. See B[^e]te noire.
Black beetle (Zool.), the common large cockroach (Blatta
orientalis).
Black bonnet (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 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. (Zool.) 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 (Zool.), a fish of the Mississippi valley
(Cycleptus elongatus), of the sucker family; the
Missouri sucker.
Black lemur (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), an American hawk (Buteo Harlani).
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Syn: Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;
Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Draught \Draught\, n. [The same as draft, the spelling with gh
indicating an older pronunciation. See Draft, n., Draw.]
1. The act of drawing or pulling; as:
(a) The act of moving loads by drawing, as by beasts of
burden, and the like.
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A general custom of using oxen for all sort of
draught would be, perhaps, the greatest
improvement. --Sir W.
Temple.
(b) The drawing of a bowstring. [Obs.]
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She sent an arrow forth with mighty draught.
--Spenser.
(c) Act of drawing a net; a sweeping the water for fish.
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Upon the draught of a pond, not one fish was
left. --Sir M. Hale.
(d) The act of drawing liquor into the mouth and throat;
the act of drinking.
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In his hands he took the goblet, but a while the
draught forbore. --Trench.
(e) A sudden attack or drawing upon an enemy. [Obs.]
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By drawing sudden draughts upon the enemy when
he looketh not for you. --Spenser.
(f) (Mil.) The act of selecting or detaching soldiers; a
draft (see Draft, n., 2)
(g) The act of drawing up, marking out, or delineating;
representation. --Dryden.
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2. That which is drawn; as:
(a) That which is taken by sweeping with a net.
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Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets
for a draught. --Luke v. 4.
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He laid down his pipe, and cast his net, which
brought him a very great draught. --L'Estrange.
(b) (Mil.) The force drawn; a detachment; -- in this sense
usually written draft.
(c) The quantity drawn in at once in drinking; a potion or
potation.
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Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery, .
. . still thou art a bitter draught. --Sterne.
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Low lies that house where nut-brown draughts
inspired. --Goldsmith.
(d) A sketch, outline, or representation, whether written,
designed, or drawn; a delineation.
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A draught of a Toleration Act was offered to the
Parliament by a private member. --Macaulay.
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No picture or draught of these things from the
report of the eye. --South.
(e) (Com.) An order for the payment of money; -- in this
sense almost always written draft.
(f) A current of air moving through an inclosed place, as
through a room or up a chimney. --Thackeray.
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He preferred to go and sit upon the stairs, in .
. . a strong draught of air, until he was again
sent for. --Dickens.
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3. That which draws; as:
(a) A team of oxen or horses. --Blackstone.
(b) A sink or drain; a privy. --Shak. --Matt. xv. 17.
(c) pl. (Med.) A mild vesicatory; a sinapism; as, to apply
draughts to the feet.
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4. Capacity of being drawn; force necessary to draw;
traction.
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The Hertfordshire wheel plow . . . is of the easiest
draught. --Mortimer.
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5. (Naut.) The depth of water necessary to float a ship, or
the depth a ship sinks in water, especially when laden;
as, a ship of twelve feet draught.
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6. (Com.) An allowance on weighable goods. [Eng.] See
Draft, 4.
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7. A move, as at chess or checkers. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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8. The bevel given to the pattern for a casting, in order
that it may be drawn from the sand without injury to the
mold.
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9. (Masonry) See Draft, n., 7.
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Angle of draught, the angle made with the plane over which
a body is drawn by the line in which the pulling force
acts, when the latter has the direction best adapted to
overcome the obstacles of friction and the weight of the
body.
Black draught. See under Black, a.
Blast draught, or Forced draught, the draught produced by
a blower, as by blowing in air beneath a fire or drawing
out the gases from above it.
Natural draught, the draught produced by the atmosphere
flowing, by its own weight, into a chimney wherein the air
is rarefied by heat.
On draught, so as to be drawn from the wood (as a cask,
barrel, etc.) in distinction from being bottled; as, ale
on draught.
Sheer draught. See under Sheer.
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