Chapter Blacking to Blanch of B by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

1. A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage. Sir W. Scott.

2. Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.

3. (Eng. Law) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to "white rent", which paid in silver.

To levy blackmail, to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation.

Blackmail
(Black"mail`), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackmailed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackmailing.] To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud. [U. S.]

Blackmailer
(Black"mail`er) n. One who extorts, or endeavors to extort, money, by black mailing.

Blackmailing
(Black"mail`ing), n. The act or practice of extorting money by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation.

Black Monday
(Black" Mon`day)

1. Easter Monday, so called from the severity of that day in 1360, which was so unusual that many of Edward III.'s soldiers, then before Paris, died from the cold. Stow.

Then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on Black Monday last.
Shak.

2. The first Monday after the holidays; — so called by English schoolboys. Halliwell.

Black monk
(Black" monk`) A Benedictine monk.

Blackmoor
(Black"moor) n. See Blackamoor.

Black-mouthed
(Black"-mouthed`) a. Using foul or scurrilous language; slanderous.

Blackness
(Black"ness), n. The quality or state of being black; black color; atrociousness or enormity in wickedness.

They're darker now than blackness.
Donne.

Blackpoll
(Black"poll`) n. [Black + poll head.] (Zoöl.) A warbler of the United States

Black pudding
(Black" pud"ding) A kind of sausage made of blood, suet, etc., thickened with meal.

And fat black puddings, — proper food,
For warriors that delight in blood.
Hudibras.

Black Rod
(Black" Rod`) (a) the usher to the Chapter of the Garter, so called from the black rod which he carries. He is of the king's chamber, and also usher to the House of Lords. [Eng.] (b) An usher in the legislature of British colonies. Cowell.

Committed to the custody of the Black Rod.
Macaulay.

Blackroot
(Black"root`), n. (Bot.) See Colicroot.

Blacks
(Blacks) n. pl.