The darkest colour, like the night sky or coal. Black is the absence of light.

Adjective. Used before a noun: 'a black cat', or after a verb: 'the cat is black'. Common collocations: black coffee, black hole, black market, pitch black.

Black has many cultural meanings in English. It often symbolises elegance and formality (black tie event) but can also suggest negativity (black market, blackout). 'Black Friday' is now the biggest shopping day of the year in many countries.