Black
— Commonly represents —
lack, evil, darkness, bad luck, crime, mystery, silence, concealment, elegance, execution, end, chaos, death, and secrecy
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#000000
B	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 0)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(-°, -%, 0%)
Source		By definition
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light. Evil, in many cultures is used to describe acts or thoughts which are contrary to some particular religion Luck (also called fortunity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment Silence is a relative or total lack of audible Sound you can not hear a thing it is quiet Elegance is the attribute of being unusually effective and simple Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Chaos (derived from the Ancient Greek, Chaos) typically refers to Unpredictability, and is the antithesis of Cosmos. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Web colors are Colors used in designing web pages and the methods for describing and specifying those colors Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by HSL and HSV are two related representations of points in an RGB color space, which attempt to describe perceptual color relationships more accurately than Hue is one of the main properties of a Color described with names such as " Red " " Yellow " etc In Colorimetry and Color theory, colorfulness, chroma, and saturation are related but distinct concepts referring to the perceived intensity Brightness is an attribute of Visual perception in which a source appears to emit or reflect a given amount of Light. Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 Sometimes black is described as an "achromatic color", but in practice it can be considered a color, as in expressions like "black cat" or "black paint".

Contents 1 Color or light in science 1.1 Absorption of light 2 Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions 2.1 Neutral symbolism 2.1.1 Authority and seriousness 2.1.2 Clothing 2.1.3 Demography 2.1.4 Philosophy 2.1.5 Politics 2.1.6 Popular culture 2.1.7 Science 2.1.8 Sport 2.1.9 Ambiguity and secrecy 2.2 Positive symbolism 2.2.1 Beliefs, religions and superstitions 2.2.2 Economy 2.2.3 Fashion 2.3 Negative symbolism 2.3.1 Beliefs, religions and superstitions 2.3.2 Symbolic dualism with white 2.3.3 Historical events 2.3.4 Expressions 3 Pigments 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

Color or light in science

Black can be defined as the visual impression experienced in directions from which no visible light reaches the eye. (This makes a contrast with whiteness, the impression of any combination of colors of light that equally stimulates all three types of color-sensitive visual receptors. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 )

Pigments that absorb light rather than reflect it back to the eye "look black". A black pigment can, however, result from a combination of several pigments that collectively absorb all colors. If appropriate proportions of three primary pigments are mixed, the result reflects so little light as to be called "black".

This provides two superficially opposite but actually complementary descriptions of black. Black is the lack of all colors of light, or an exhaustive combination of multiple colors of pigment. See also Primary colors

† various CMYK combinations

c	m	y	k
0%	0%	0%	100%	(canonical)
100%	100%	100%	0%	(ideal inks, theoretical only)
100%	100%	100%	100%	(registration black)

In physics, a black body is a perfect absorber of light, but by a rule derived by Einstein it is also, when heated, the best emitter. Primary colors are sets of Colors that can be combined to make a useful range ( Gamut) of colors CMYK (short for '''c'''yan, '''m'''agenta, '''y'''ellow, and k ey ( Black) and often referred to as process color A subtractive color model explains the mixing of Paints Dyes Inks and natural colorants to create a range of Colors where each such color In CMYK printing registration black refers to 100% coverage in each of the four process colors cyan (C magenta (M yellow (Y and Black (K Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. In Physics, a black body is an object that absorbs all light that falls on it Albert Einstein ( German: ˈalbɐt ˈaɪ̯nʃtaɪ̯n; English: ˈælbɝt ˈaɪnstaɪn (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 was a German -born theoretical Thus, the best radiative cooling, out of sunlight, is by using black paint, though it is important that it be black (a nearly perfect absorber) in the infrared as well. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of

In elementary science, far Ultraviolet light is called "black light" because, unseen (per se), it causes many minerals and other substances to fluoresce. Phosphorescence is a specific type of Photoluminescence related to fluorescence.

On January 16, 2008, researchers from Troy, New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced the creation of the darkest material on the planet. Troy is a City in New York, US, and the County seat of Rensselaer County. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a Nonsectarian private Research University located in Troy, New York The material, which reflects only . 045 percent of light, was created from carbon nanotubes stood on end. See also Graphene, Buckypaper Carbon nanotubes (CNTs are Allotropes of carbon with a nanostructure that can have a length-to-diameter It absorbs nearly 30 times more light than the current standard for blackness, and is 3 times darker than the current record holder for darkest substance. Scientists claim that the new material has great potential in the manufacturing of solar panels. Solar panels are used to gather Solar energy from The sun. Solar panels help maintain a clean and sustainable environment using solar panels to gather the sunlight is ^[1]

Absorption of light

In keeping with the law of conservation of energy, as a black color surface absorbs the light particles that hit it, the surface's particles are getting excited (excited particles = higher temperature). In Physics, the law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of Energy in an isolated system remains constant and cannot be created although it may Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature The color black attracts heat and absorbs it making the object that is black warmer, because the particles have warmed up and are moving faster.

Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions

Neutral symbolism

Some of these can be seen as positive or negative, depending on one's stance. For example, superstitions related to black cats hold them to be bad luck in the U. Superstition ( Latin superstitio, literally "standing over" derived perhaps from standing in awe used in Latin as a unreasonable or excessive belief Luck (also called fortunity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. S. and good luck in the UK.

Authority and seriousness

Black can be seen as the color of authority and seriousness.

• In Japanese culture, kuro (black) is a symbol of nobility, age, and experience, as opposed to shiro (white), which symbolizes serfdom, youth, and naiveté. The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over millenia from the country's prehistoric Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture which combines influences from Asia Thus the black belt is a mark of achievement and seniority in many martial arts, whereas in, for example, Shotokan karate, a white belt is a rank-less belt which comes before all other belts. The term Black belt has become widely known as way to describe an expert in Martial arts where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. These ranks are called dan.
• In the long-running Japanese tokusatsu TV series Super Sentai (and its American counterpart, Power Rangers), black is one of the colors worn by the eponymous heroes. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. is a Japanese word that literally means " Special effects " It is primarily used to refer to Live-action Japanese Film and The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd Power Rangers is a long-running American Children's television series adapted from the Japanese Tokusatsu Super Sentai Series, though it
• Black was the color of the Arab dynasty of Abbasid caliphs, which is the reason black is frequently used in flags of Arab countries. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah
• The riot control units of the Basque Autonomous Police in Spain are known as beltzak ("blacks") after their uniform. Riot control refers to the measures used by police military or other forces to control, disperse and arrest civilians that are involved in a Riot, demonstration Ertzaintza is the Police force of the Basque Country, one of the Autonomous communities of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
• Traditionally, police vehicles ("panda cars") were in black and white. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force The phrase panda car refers to a small or medium-sized Police car operated by British police forces.
• Black Watch is the senior Highland Regiment of the British Army. The Black Watch 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS is an Infantry Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces.

Clothing

• Black tuxedos are worn at formal occasions known as black tie functions. Black tie is a dress code for semi-formal evening events and is worn to many types of social functions
• Many performers of European classical music or other serious art music dress in black for a concert or recital. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music A concert is a live Performance, usually of Music, before an Audience. A recital is a Musical ( Vocal or instrumental Performance. It can highlight a single performer sometimes accompanied by Piano, or
• Lawyers and judges often wear black robes. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person A judge, or justice, is an Official who presides over a Court of law
• Academic dress includes black robes for graduates. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary
• Black is worn by religious figures within Christianity, e. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings g. priests (especially of the older religious denominations), monks and nuns. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity
• Black is worn by Hassidic Jews.
• Black is worn by some Muslim women; see List of types of sartorial hijab for photographs of examples such as the abaya. This list of types of sartorial Hijab indexes styles of clothing found in predominantly Muslim societies commonly associated with the word hijab. The abaya ( Arabic عباءة plural abayat عباءات is an Overgarment worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world.
• Members of the modern goth, emo and punk subcultures dress predominantly in black (see also goth fashion). The goth subculture is a contemporary Subculture found in many countries The punk subculture is based around Punk rock. It emerged from the larger Rock music scene in the mid-to-late-1970s in the United Kingdom, the United Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture.

Demography

• The term "black" is often used in the West to denote the race of people whose skin color ranges from light to darker shades of brown. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets Human skin color can range from almost black (due to very high concentrations of the dark brown pigment melanin to nearly colorless (appearing reddish white due to the Blood Black, when used as a general term is a color that is a Very dark Black, black, or Black, of low Luminance relative to For a discussion of usage, see the main entry at Black people and color terminology for race. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse In most societies and by some anthropologists color terminology was used to label races sometimes in addition to a non-color term for the same race.

Philosophy

• In arguments, things can be black-and-white, meaning that the issue at hand is dichotomized (having two clear, opposing sides with no middle ground). Black-and-white is a number of Monochrome forms in Visual arts. A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts
• In ancient China, black was the symbol of North and Water, one of the main five colors. Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era

Politics

• The List of black flags, although not exclusively political, gives many political meanings. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i This is a list of Flags which are entirely or largely black. The Black Flag was flown by certain irregular Confederate Army units in the American
• Black is used for anarchist symbolism, sometimes split in diagonal with other colors to show alignment with another political philosophy. While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of Symbols to political movement anarchists have embraced certain symbols for their cause While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of Symbols to political movement anarchists have embraced certain symbols for their cause Political philosophy is the study of questions about the City, Government, Politics, Liberty, Justice, Property, Rights The plain black flag is explained in various ways, sometimes as an anti-flag or a non-flag. Wearing black clothing is also sometimes an anarchist tactic during demonstrations, with a practical benefit of not attracting attention and making later identification of a subject difficult. This strategy is referred to as a black bloc. A black bloc is made up largely of anarchists or autonomists, anti-capitalist individuals or groups that gather for protests demonstrations or other event
• In Portuguese politics, black (and red) is the party color of the Left Bloc. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Left Bloc ( Portuguese: Bloco de Esquerda, pron 'blɔku dɨ (ɨʃ'keɾdɐ sometimes translated as leftist bloc or left-wing bloc
• The blackshirts were Italian Fascist militias. For other uses and meanings see Blackshirts (disambiguation. The Blackshirts ( Italian: camicie nere, The term Italian Fascism denotes the totalitarian Fascismo political movement that ruled Italy from 1922 until 1943 under leader Benito Mussolini
• The black triangle was used by the Nazis to designate "asocial" people (homeless and Roma, for example); later the symbol was adopted by lesbian culture. This article is about the Black Triangle as a badge or symbol for other uses see the disambiguation page Black triangle. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Poliamory pride in San Francisco 2004jpg|thumb|Representatives of the Polyamory community at a San Francisco parade

Popular culture

• Johnny Cash was commonly referred to as "The Man in Black" due to his preference for black clothing. Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. His song "Man in Black" presents it as a show of solidarity with the outcasts of society. Man in Black His Own Story in His Own Words is an autobiography by country musician Johnny Cash.
• "Black Hole Sun" is an award-winning (1995 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance) song by the Seattle band Soundgarden from their albums Superunknown (1994) and A-Sides (1997). " Black Hole Sun " is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance has been awarded since 1990. Superunknown is the fourth album by the American Alternative rock band Soundgarden, released on March 8 1994 through A&M Records. A-Sides is a Compilation album by the American Alternative rock band Soundgarden with songs spanning the band's thirteen year career
• Black metal is a style of music including bands such as Darkthrone and Mayhem. Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software
• The folk song "Black Is the Color (of My True Love's Hair)". Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous " Black Is the Colour (of My True Love's Hair " ( Roud 3103 is a traditional Folk song first known in the Appalachian Mountains region of
• The band AC/DC sang "Back in Black", a song about being successful and ambitious once again. AC/DC are an Australian Hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young.
• Amy Winehouse's Grammy Award winning song and album Back to Black
• In a book by the Berenstains, titled Call Me Mrs. Back to Black is the second Studio album by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, released in October 2006 on Island Stan and Jan Berenstain were United States writers and Illustrators best known for creating the children's book series , the wife tells the husband in the garden, "You not only fixed those lousy aphids, you developed that long-sought-after variety--the pure black rose!"

Science

• The term "black hole" is applied to collapsed stars. A rose is a perennial flowering Shrub or vine of the Genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species A black hole is a theoretical region of space in which the Gravitational field is so powerful that nothing not even Electromagnetic radiation (e Gravitational collapse in Astronomy is the inward fall of a massive body under the influence of the force of Gravity. This term is metaphorical however, because few properties of black objects or black voids apply to black holes. However, light emitted within a black hole's event horizon cannot escape, hence a black hole cannot be directly observed. In General relativity, an event horizon is a boundary in Spacetime, an area surrounding a Black hole or a Wormhole, inside which events cannot
• Black sky refers to the appearance of space as one emerges from the Earth's atmosphere.

Sport

• The national rugby union team of New Zealand is called the All Blacks, in reference to their black outfits, and the color is also shared by other New Zealand national teams such as the Black Caps (cricket) and the Kiwis (rugby league). Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. The New Zealand cricket team, also known as the Black Caps or BLACKCAPS, played their first Test in 1929-30 against England in Christchurch KIWI (1029 FM, "Radio Lobo" is a commercial Radio station located in McFarland California, broadcasting to the Bakersfield California
• Association football (soccer) referees traditionally wear all-black uniforms, however nowadays other uniform colors may also be worn. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered A referee presides over a game of Association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which
• A large number of teams have uniforms designed with black colors - many feeling the color sometimes imparts a psychological advantage in its wearers. Among the more famous (or infamous) include Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat of the NBA, and Inter Milan of the Serie A of the Italian soccer leagues. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional Basketball team based in San Antonio Texas. The Miami Heat (often referred to simply as the Heat, including in some official team publications with HEAT in all capital letters are a professional Basketball Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club Serie A (officially known as the Lega Calcio Serie A TIM for Sponsorship reasons is a professional league competition for football clubs located The Italian football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for football clubs in Italy.
• In auto racing, a black flag signals a driver to go into the pits. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It
• In baseball, "the black" refers to a blacked out baseball area around the center-field bleachers, painted black to give hitters a decent background for pitched balls. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each

Ambiguity and secrecy

• Black frequently symbolizes ambiguity, secrecy, and the unknown. Ambiguity (Am-big-u-i-ty is the property of being ambiguous, where a Word, term notation sign Symbol, Phrase, sentence, or any
• A black box is any device whose internal workings are unknown or inexplicable. Black box is a technical term for a device or system or object when it is viewed primarily in terms of its input and output characteristics In theatre, the black box is a smaller, undecorated theater whose auditorium and stage relationship can be configured in various way. Black box is a technical term for a device or system or object when it is viewed primarily in terms of its input and output characteristics
• A black project is a secretive project, like Enigma Decryption, other classified military programs or operations, Narcotics, or police sting operations. The Enigma machine is any one of a family of related electro-mechanical Rotor machines used to generate Ciphers for the Encryption and decryption of The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden causing loss In law enforcement a sting operation is a Deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime
• Some organizations are called "black" when they keep a low profile, like Sociétés Anonymes and secret societies. For the art organization see Société Anonyme (art SA generally designates Corporations in various countries mostly those employing Secret society is a term used to describe a variety of organizations
• A polished black mirror is used for scrying, and is thought to help see into the paranormal world without interference or distraction. "Seer stone" redirects here For the usage in Mormonism see Seer stone (Latter Day Saints. Paranormal is an Umbrella term used to describe unusual Phenomena or experiences that lack an obvious Scientific explanation

Positive symbolism

• Black can also be seen as the color of prestige: for example, limousines are usually in black. Calligraphy (from Greek kallos "beauty" + graphẽ "writing" is the art of writing (Mediavilla 1996 17 Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language A limousine (or limo) is a longer than normal Luxury car. The chassis may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coach builder traditionally

Beliefs, religions and superstitions

• In the Maasai tribes of Kenya and Tanzania, the color black is associated with rain clouds, a symbol of life and prosperity. The Maasai are an indigenous African Ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya
• The medieval Christian sect known as the Cathars viewed black as a color of perfection. Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within
• The Rastafari movement sees black as beautiful. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament
• Native Americans associated black with the life-giving soil. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States.
• The Hindu deity Krishna means "the black one". A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism

Economy

• To say one's accounts are "in the black" is used to mean that one is free of debt.
  • Being "in the red" is to be in debt—in traditional bookkeeping, negative amounts, such as costs, were printed in red ink, and positive amounts, like revenues, were printed in black ink, so that if the "bottom line" is printed in black, the firm is profiting. In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services Net income is equal to the Income that a firm has after subtracting costs and Expenses from the total Revenue.
• Black Friday (shopping) occurs the day after Thanksgiving and is, statistically, the largest shopping day in the US. Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American Holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. The idea is that the shopping that begins on this day can put a company into the black (i. e. , make a profit) for the year.

Fashion

• In Western fashion, black is considered stylish, sexy, elegant and powerful. Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time
• The colloquialism "X is the new black" is a reference to the latest trend or fad that is considered a wardrobe basic for the duration of the trend, on the basis that black is always fashionable. "_____ is the new black " is a Catch phrase used to indicate the sudden popularity or versatility of an idea at the expense of the popularity of a second idea The phrase has taken on a life of its own as a snowclone, and has been stretched and parodied as a rhetorical device and a cliche. A snowclone is a type of Cliché and Phrasal template originally defined as "a multi-use customizable instantly recognizable time-worn quoted or misquoted Rhetoric has had many definitions no simple definition can do it justice A cliché (from French, klɪ'ʃe or cliche is a phrase expression or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force

Negative symbolism

Black can also carry negative connotations. The reasons for this are various, but the most widely accepted explanations are that night is perceived as dangerous. Night or nighttime is the period of Time when the Sun is below the Horizon. Especially before electric lights, darkness was potentially threatening. A secondary reason is that stains are most visible as dark additions to pale materials. Some people associate black with evil and destruction as it naturally absorbs all light and even the Black Hole is described as 'nature's ultimate fury'.

This use of the word and its associations carries over from night and objects to people as well. In traditional class-based Western cultures, pale skin indicated genteel domestic or intellectual indoor-work as opposed to rough outdoor labor in the fields. Aspects of this black/white opposition are not unique to the West, as, for example in the Indian varna system and in Japanese geisha makeup. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Varna (sa वर्ण varṇa) is a Sanskrit term derived from the root meaning "to enclose" or are traditional female Japanese Entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance African, Afro-Caribbean and African-American writers, such as Frantz Fanon, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Ralph Ellison, identify a number of negative symbolisms surrounding the word "black", arguing that the good vs. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Frantz Fanon ( July 20, 1925 – December 6, 1961) was a Psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and author from Langston Hughes (February 1 1902 &ndash May 22 1967 was an American Poet, Novelist Playwright, Short story writer and Columnist Maya Angelou (ˈmaɪə ˈændʒəloʊ (born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928) is an American Poet, Memoirist Ralph Waldo Ellison ( March 1, 1914 &ndash April 16, 1994) was a Scholar and Writer. bad dualism associated with white and black provide prejudiced connotations to color terminology for race. In most societies and by some anthropologists color terminology was used to label races sometimes in addition to a non-color term for the same race.

Beliefs, religions and superstitions

• Black is a symbol of mourning and bereavement in Western societies, especially at funerals and memorial services. Mourning is in the simplest sense synonymous with Grief over the Death of someone In some traditional societies, within for example Greece and Italy, widows wear black for the rest of their lives. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In contrast, across much of Africa and parts of Asia, white is a color of mourning and is worn during funerals.
• In English heraldry, black means darkness, doubt, ignorance, and uncertainty. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ^[2]

Symbolic dualism with white

• Black magic is a destructive or evil form of magic, often connected with death, as opposed to white magic. Black magic or dark magic is a form of sorcery that draws on malevolent powers Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific This was already apparent during Ancient Egypt when the Cush Tribe invaded Egyptian plantations along the Nile River.
• Evil witches are stereotypically dressed in black and good fairies in white. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair
• Melodrama villains are dressed in black and heroines in white dresses. Melodrama refers to theatre in which music is used to increase the spectator's emotional response or to suggest character types
• In many Hollywood Westerns, bad cowboys wear black hats while the good ones wear white. The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. A black hat is the Villain or bad guy, especially in a western movie in which such a character would wear a black Hat in contrast to the
• In computer security, a blackhat is an attacker with evil intentions, while a whitehat bears no such ill will. This article describes how security can be achieved through design and engineering A black hat is the Villain or bad guy, especially in a western movie in which such a character would wear a black Hat in contrast to the A white hat is the Hero or good guy, especially in computing slang where it refers to an Ethical hacker who focuses on securing and protecting (This is derived from the Western movie convention. )

Historical events

• A "black day" (or week or month) usually refers to a sad or tragic time. The Romans marked fasti days with white stones and nefasti days with black. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Fasti, a Latin word refers to the Roman calendar and Almanac; and especially to a long possibly unfinished poem on the religious festivals
  • E. g. , the Wall Street Crash 1929, the stock market crash on October 29, 1929 which is the start of the Great Depression, is nicknamed Black Tuesday, and was preceded by Black Thursday, a downturn on October 24 the previous week. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the ’29 Crash, the Crash of 1929, the Great Crash of 1929, the Great Crash of October 1929 A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of Stock prices across a significant cross-section of a Stock market. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat
  • Black Monday, stock market crash on October 19, 1987. A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of Stock prices across a significant cross-section of a Stock market. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar)
  • Black Wednesday caused Britain to pull out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. In British Politics and Economics, Black Wednesday refers to the events of 16 September 1992 when the Conservative The European Exchange Rate Mechanism, ERM, was a system introduced by the European Community in March 1979 as part of the European Monetary System (EMS
  • Black Friday, various tragic events. (Exception: See Black Friday (shopping). Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season )

• Black months include:
  • the Black September in Jordan, in which thousands were killed. September 1970 is known as the Black September ( in Arab history and sometimes is referred to as the "era of regrettable events
  • Black July killing of the Tamil population by the Sinhalese government in Sri Lanka. Black July is the commonly used name for the Pogroms starting in Sri Lanka on July 23 1983. Tamil people (also called Tamils or Tamilians) ( are an Ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island
  • Black Spring 2001 (Printemps noir), in the Berber region of Kabylia (Algeria), when the police shot and killed more than 100 people. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. This article focuses on the region in Algeria For the ethnic group see Kabyle people. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's

• The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague, was a pandemic in Europe which killed tens of millions of people. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia
• The Black Hole of Calcutta was the overcrowding of an impromptu prison cell in which many died. The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small Dungeon in Fort William where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British

Expressions

• The black market is used to denote the trade of illegal goods, or alternatively the illegal trade of otherwise legal items at considerably higher prices, e. g. to evade rationing. Rationing is the controlled distribution of resources and scarce goods or services
• Black comedy is a form of comedy dealing with morbid and serious topics. Black comedy, also known as black humor or dark comedy, is a sub-genre of Comedy and Satire where topics and events that are usually regarded Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and
• A blacklist is a list of undesirable persons or entities (to be placed on the list is to be "blacklisted").
• To blackball someone is to block their entry into a club or some such institution. Blackballing was a rejection technique used in elections to membership of a Gentlemen's club (as well as similarly organised institutions such as Freemasonry A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal In the traditional English gentlemen's club, current members vote on the admission of a candidate by secretly placing a white or black ball in a hat. A gentlemen's club is a members-only private Club of a type originally set up by and for English Upper class men If upon the completion of voting, there was even one black ball amongst the white, the candidate would be denied membership, and he would never know who had "blackballed" him.
• Blackmail is the act of threatening to reveal information about a person unless the threatened party fulfills certain demands. Blackmail is the crime of threatening to reveal substantially true information about a person to the public a family member or associates unless a demand made upon the This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature. Ordinarily, such a threat is illegal.
• The black sheep of the family is the ne'er-do-well. Black sheep is an English language Idiom which describes an odd or disreputable member of a group especially within one's family
• A black mood is a bad one (cf Winston Churchill's clinical depression, which he called "my black dog"). Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression ^[3]
• If you sink the black eight-ball in billiards before all others are out of play, you lose.
• A black mark against you is a bad thing.
• A black-hearted person is mean and unloving.
• Black propaganda is the use of known falsehoods, partial truths, or masquerades in propaganda to confuse an opponent. Black propaganda is false material where the source is disguised

Pigments

Black pigments include carbon black, ivory black, ebony, onyx and charcoal black. Carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete Combustion of heavy Petroleum products such as FCC tar coal tar ethylene cracking tar and a small amount from Bone char, also known as bone black or animal Charcoal, is a granular Material produced by charring animal Bones the bones are heated Ebony ( Diospyros ebenum) also known as India Ebony or Ceylon Ebony depending on its origin is a Tree in the genus Diospyros Onyx is a Cryptocrystalline form of Quartz. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades such as purple or blue Charcoal' is the blackish residue consisting of impure Carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from Animal and Vegetation

References

1. ^ Darkest ever material created:
2. ^ (The American Girls Handy Book, p. 370)
3. ^ Hal Haralson. Dancing with the Black Dog. christianethicstoday. com. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw

See also

• List of colors
• Black triangle

External links

• All About Black

The following is a partial list of Colors with associated articles.

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