Pronunciation: /blæk.bɔːl/

Definitions of blackball

noun a negative vote or decision, especially one that excludes a candidate from membership or from further participation

Example Sentences

A1 I saw a blackball rolling on the ground.

A2 The children played with a blackball in the park.

B1 The team decided to use a blackball for their next game.

B2 The blackball used in the tournament was specially designed for maximum performance.

C1 The blackball used in professional competitions is made of high-quality materials.

C2 The blackball used in the championship match was carefully inspected for any imperfections.

verb to vote against or exclude someone from membership by casting a black ball or by voting against them

Example Sentences

A1 She blackballed him from joining the club.

A2 The team decided to blackball the new player for not following the rules.

B1 The committee voted to blackball the proposal due to lack of support.

B2 The CEO threatened to blackball anyone who leaked confidential information.

C1 The powerful group used their influence to blackball the candidate from receiving the award.

C2 The union decided to blackball the company during negotiations for better working conditions.

Examples of blackball in a Sentence

formal The committee decided to blackball the new applicant from joining their exclusive club.

informal They're going to blackball him from the group if he doesn't apologize.

slang They're gonna blackball her if she doesn't stop spreading rumors.

figurative The company tried to blackball their competitor by spreading false information about them.

Grammatical Forms of blackball

past tense

blackballed

plural

blackballs

comparative

more blackball

superlative

most blackball

present tense

blackball

future tense

will blackball

perfect tense

have blackballed

continuous tense

is blackballing

singular

blackball

positive degree

blackball

infinitive

to blackball

gerund

blackballing

participle

blackballing

Origin and Evolution of blackball

First Known Use: 1540 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'blackball' originated from the practice of voting by using either a white or black ball to indicate approval or disapproval.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of secret voting, 'blackball' has evolved to mean rejection or exclusion from a group or organization through a negative vote.