DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Black a.
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.”
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 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 Bête noire.
Black beetle Zool., the common large cockroach (Blatta orientalis).
Black bonnet Zool., the black-headed bunting (Embriza Schœniclus) 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
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).
Syn: -- Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart; Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.
Draught n.
1. The act of drawing or pulling; as: (a) The act of moving loads by drawing, as by beasts of burden, and the like.
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.]
She sent an arrow forth with mighty draught. --Spenser.
(c) Act of drawing a net; a sweeping the water for fish.
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.
In his hands he took the goblet, but a while the draught forbore. --Trench.
(e) A sudden attack or drawing upon an enemy. [Obs.]
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.
2. That which is drawn; as: (a) That which is taken by sweeping with a net.
Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. --Luke v. 4.
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.
Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery, . . . still thou art a bitter draught. --Sterne.
Low lies that house where nut-brown draughts inspired. --Goldsmith.
(d) A sketch, outline, or representation, whether written, designed, or drawn; a delineation.
A draught of a Toleration Act was offered to the Parliament by a private member. --Macaulay.
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.
He preferred to go and sit upon the stairs, in . . . a strong draught of air, until he was again sent for. --Dickens.
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.
4. Capacity of being drawn; force necessary to draw; traction.
The Hertfordshire wheel plow . . . is of the easiest draught. --Mortimer.
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.
6. Com. An allowance on weighable goods. [Eng.] See Draft, 4.
7. A move, as at chess or checkers. [Obs.]
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.
9. Masonry See Draft, n., 7.
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.