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Definition of 'black hole'

Word Frequency

black hole

Word forms: plural black holes
1. countable noun
Black holes are areas in space, where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. Black holes are thought to be formed by collapsed stars.
2. countable noun [usually singular]
If you say that something, especially money, has gone into a black hole, you mean that it has disappeared and cannot be recovered.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

black hole in British

astronomy
noun
1. 
an object in space so dense that its escape velocity exceeds the speed of light
2. 
any place regarded as resembling a black hole in that items or information entering it cannot be retrieved
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

Black Hole in American

1. 
a small dungeon at Calcutta: it was once believed that over 100 Europeans were confined there one night in 1756 by their Indian captors and died from heat and lack of air
2.  [b- h-]
any dungeon
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency

black hole in American

1. 
a celestial object or dark region in space, perhaps formed by the collapse of a large star, with such a great mass that its gravitational field will not let even light escape
2. 
a. 
an emptiness or void
b. 
anything thought of as endlessly devouring resources, funds, etc.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Example sentences containing 'black hole'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
The exit wound was huge, an appalling mash of skin and bone and an ugly black hole where the nose should have been. Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)I fell into a black hole of guilt I hated Pia for being Dukey's sister. Shell, Ray ICED (2002)The black hole was an organ for the creation of infinite streams of light. Zindell, David THE BROKEN GOD (2002)
At the base, cut into the wall of the shaft, was a round black hole, the entrance to a tunnel. McKewan, Ian THE INNOCENT (2002)

Word Lists

astronomy

Trends of 'black hole'

Used Occasionally. black hole is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Translations for 'black hole'

British English: black hole NOUN
Black holes are areas in space, where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from them.
  • American English: black hole
  • Brazilian Portuguese: buraco negro
  • Chinese: 黑洞
  • European Spanish: agujero negro
  • French: trou noir
  • German: schwarzes Loch
  • Italian: buco nero
  • Japanese: ブラックホール
  • Korean: 블랙홀
  • European Portuguese: buraco negro
  • Spanish: agujero negro

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Nearby words of 'black hole'

  • black heat
  • black hickory
  • Black Hills
  • black hole
  • Black Hole of Calcutta
  • black horehound
  • black house

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'B'

Related Terms of 'black hole'

  • Black Hole of Calcutta

Source

Definition of black hole from the Collins English Dictionary

Used to

The verb used to is a‘marginal’ modal verb. Unlike the other modal verbs, it is only found in the past tense. Therefore, when it is used with do to make negatives and questions, the form of the auxil...
Read more about 'Used to'
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