| black cohosh |
an eastern North American perennial herb (Cimicifuga racemosa, or Actaea racemosa) of the buttercup family, the rhizome and roots of which are used as an herbal remedy. |
| blackdamp |
a suffocating gas composed of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, found as a residue of fires and explosions of combustible gases in mines; chokedamp. |
| Black Death |
a deadly plague, probably bubonic, that was widespread in Europe in the mid-fourteenth century, characterized by dark splotches on the skin. |
| black duck |
a dark brown pond duck of northeastern North America. [2 definitions] |
| blacken |
to make black; make dark. [3 definitions] |
| black eye |
darkening and discoloration of the flesh around the eye, as from a bruise or blow. [2 definitions] |
| black-eyed pea |
the seed of the cowpea plant, used as food; cowpea. |
| black-eyed Susan |
any of numerous related North American wildflowers with yellow or orange-yellow petals surrounding a dark center. |
| blackface |
theatrical make-up used to burlesque a black character, as in a minstrel show, or an actor playing such a character. [2 definitions] |
| black flag |
see "Jolly Roger." |
| Blackfoot |
a member of an Algonquian Indian tribe formerly resident in Montana, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. [2 definitions] |
| black frost |
severe cold that blackens living plants without the appearance of frost crystals. |
| black grouse |
a large game bird of Europe and Asia, the male of which is black with white markings. |
| blackguard |
an unprincipled, dishonest person; scoundrel. [2 definitions] |
| blackhead |
a small, black-tipped plug of fatty matter blocking a pore of the skin, esp. on the face. [3 definitions] |
| black-hearted |
evil and malicious. |
| black hole |
a hypothetical region or body in space, possibly the remnants of a collapsed star, with such a strong gravitational pull that neither light nor matter can escape. |
| blacking |
a substance that is applied to an object to make it black. |
| blackjack |
a short club with a leather cover, heavy head, and flexible handle, used as a weapon. [6 definitions] |
| black light |
ultraviolet or infrared radiation that is invisible but indirectly detectable, as by fluorescence. |
| blacklist |
a list of persons or groups that are under suspicion, censure, or investigation, as by government, employers, or the like. [2 definitions] |