Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A negative vote, especially one that blocks the admission of an applicant to an organization.
  • noun A small black ball used as a negative ballot.
  • transitive verb To vote against, especially to veto the admission of.
  • transitive verb To shut out from social or commercial participation; ostracize or boycott.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To reject (as a candidate for election to membership or office in any club, society, etc.) by placing black balls in the ballot-box; exclude or defeat by adverse vote; also, simply to vote against. See ballot, n., 3.
  • noun A blacking composition used by shoemakers, etc. Also called heel-ball.
  • noun A name applied to both the smut and the bunt of wheat.
  • noun An adverse vote. See blackball, v. t.
  • noun Same as black ash.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A composition for blacking shoes, boots, etc.; also, one for taking impressions of engraved work.
  • noun A ball of black color, esp. one used as a negative in voting; -- in this sense usually two words.
  • transitive verb To vote against, by putting a black ball into a ballot box; to reject or exclude, as by voting against with black balls; to ostracize.
  • transitive verb To blacken (leather, shoes, etc.) with blacking.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a rejection, a vote against admitting someone
  • noun a black ball used to indicate such a negative vote
  • noun the act of so rejecting someone
  • noun A kind of large black sweet; niggerball
  • verb transitive to vote against, especially in an exclusive organization
  • verb transitive to ostracize

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of excluding someone by a negative vote or veto
  • verb expel from a community or group
  • verb vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The lucrative 1946 tour was especially welcomed by the chronically underpaid "blackball" players.

    Barnstorming in Black and White 2010

  • The lucrative 1946 tour was especially welcomed by the chronically underpaid "blackball" players.

    Barnstorming in Black and White 2010

  • The lucrative 1946 tour was especially welcomed by the chronically underpaid "blackball" players.

    Barnstorming in Black and White 2010

  • Didn't this really amount to something like a "blackball" by DeMint, who kept Southers 'nomination from being voted up or down by the Senate, with the announced reason for his opposition to Southers being conerns about the prospects of unionization at TSA and the impact it might have on security, not the "privacy" issue?

    The Volokh Conspiracy 2010

  • Las Vegas resorts Wynn and Encore has decided to 'blackball' Hilton, which, in short, means to ban her from their venue.

    Celebrity Gossip - Celebrity News - Celebrity Photo - Spreadit.org 2010

  • "Additionally, the defendants acted to 'blackball' and banish plaintiff and anyone associated with plaintiff permanently from ExxonMobil facilities and premises without limitation."

    Courthouse News Service 2010

  • But in fact, what he really should be concerned about is not "blackball," but rather "blackmail."

    Latest Articles Townhall.com 2010

  • His fear is that now the Stelmach dictatorship will "blackball" his riding.

    Edmonton Sun 2010

  • President Obama has been making great pains to try to change our image before the world, one that he believes George W. Bush perpetuated and that has led to our virtual "blackball" by many nations.

    Latest Articles Townhall.com 2010

  • The attorneys claim that Villalobos and others conspired to "blackball" and "black-list" them and that he instructed assistant DAs and staff that neither probation nor plea bargains are to be made available to the clients of these defense attorneys.

    Brownsville Herald : By EMMA PEREZ-TREVINO 2010

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