Black Book

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Either from the colour of the binding, or from the character of the contents.

Noun

Black Book (plural Black Books)

  1. (historical) Any of several books or documents of a political character, published at different times and for different purposes.
    1. A book compiled in the 12th century, containing a description of the court of exchequer of England, an official statement of the revenues of the crown, etc.
    2. A book containing details of the enormities practiced in the English monasteries and religious houses, compiled by order of their visitors under Henry VIII, to hasten their dissolution.
    3. A book of admiralty law, of the highest authority, compiled in the reign of Edward III.
    4. A book kept for the purpose of registering the names of persons liable to censure or punishment, as in the English universities, or the English armies.
    5. A 19th century book detailing the corruption and financial abuses of the British government.
    6. A book kept in the football with the United States President describing nuclear retaliation options.
  2. (by extension) A book critiquing or denouncing something.
    the Black Book of Communism
    the Black Book of Polish censorship
  3. (occult) Any book dealing with necromancy.

Further reading

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “Black Book”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)

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