Definitions

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

  • noun A preparation, such as a shoe or stove polish, that is used to impart a black color.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A preparation for blacking boots and shoes, usually made of powdered bone-black, spermor linseed-oil, molasses, sour beer or vinegar, oil of vitriol, and copperas.
  • noun In leather-working, any one of a number of preparations used in dyeing or staining leather black.
  • noun The name given by founders to a black wash, composed of clay, water, and powdered charcoal, with which cores and loam-molds are coated, to give the requisite smoothness to the surfaces which come into contact with the melted metal.

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

  • noun Any preparation for making things black; esp. one for giving a black luster to boots and shoes, or to stoves.
  • noun The act or process of making black.

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

  • verb Present participle of black.
  • noun a preparation, containing lampblack, used to produce a shiny black coating to something
  • noun shoe polish

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

  • noun a substance used to produce a shiny protective surface on footwear

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • It was after a lot of headaches and copious administration of minyok rima (Tiger balm) did I suspect that blakeng came from the English word "blacking".

    Di Bawah Rang Ikang Kering 2009

  • - Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith proposed the idea of blacking out races in the markets of venues that SMI owns, that do not sell out NASCAR races.

    The MotorSportsNews.Net(work) 2009

  • Nevertheless, his mission was a success and we are now in possession of numerous files that outline several potential plans for the further "blacking" of Senator Obama.

    Giving Obama a Black Eye Don Lewis 2008

  • From Monday workers would stage demonstrations, factory occupations and "blacking" actions were being developed against companies that dismissed workers.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1996

  • Had Tom even invented a new kind of blacking, or if Dan had started a newspaper, it might have been encouraging for those among the listeners who were thinking of engaging in similar professions.

    The Art of the Story-Teller 1915

  • Had _Tom_ even invented a new kind of blacking, or if _Dan_ had started a newspaper, it might have been encouraging for those among the listeners who were thinking of engaging in similar professions.

    The Art of the Story-Teller Marie L. Shedlock 1894

  • I was put to do all sorts of unpleasant work, such as blacking down the rigging, greasing the masts, and helping Dirty Dick to clean the caboose and sweep out the forecastle.

    Happy Jack and other Tales of the Sea William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

  • I was put to do all sorts of unpleasant work, such as blacking down the rigging, greasing the masts, and helping Dirty Dick to clean the caboose and sweep out the forecastle.

    Tales of the Sea And of our Jack Tars William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

  • That's why, when I was getting into my 5Ks, I'd get through about two miles of them and just start kind of blacking out just from not getting oxygen.

    Runner\'s World Racing News Demian Faunt 2010

  • As for "blacking" up to resemble Moors, most Moroccans are of a "cafe au lait" hue.

    Army Rumour Service 2010

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