This shows grade level based on the word’s black bean stew recipe. They labeled the boxes with a black permanent marker. That shirt was black within an hour.

His black heart has concocted yet another black deed. Pilots put a black flag next to the ten most dangerous airports. The black economy pays no taxes. He wore black at the funeral. He blacked out at the sight of blood. When it came to his war experiences he blacked out completely. The special airfare discount will be blacked out by the airlines over the holiday weekend.

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS? Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift. I want that agreement in black and white. New production methods put the company in the black. African American: The exhibit featured the work of young Black artists from New York.

See Usage note at the current entry. Use as a noun in reference to a person, e. As a noun, however, it does often offend. In the United States, there is a complex social history for words that name or describe the dark-skinned peoples of sub-Saharan Africa and their descendants. A term that was once acceptable may now be offensive, and one that was once offensive may now be acceptable.

North America, was an appropriate referential term until the 1920s, when it was supplanted by Negro. That term, an inclusive one that can refer to anyone who is not white, is frequently used by members of the Black community. However, when referring to a group of people who are all Black, it is more appropriate to be specific. It remains in the names of such organizations as the United Negro College Fund, people still refer to Negro spirituals, and some older Black people continue to identify with the term they have known since childhood. During the 1980s, many Americans sought to display pride in their immigrant origins. This shifting from term to term has not been smooth or linear, and periods of change like the late 1960s were often marked by confusion as to which term was appropriate. The N-word appears once, used disparagingly by one Black character to another.