Blackball

Quick meaning: Blackball is a noun meaning (countable) A rejection; a vote against admitting someone.

Meaning

(countable) A rejection; a vote against admitting someone.

More Meanings

1. (countable) A black ball used to indicate such a negative vote.
2. (countable) A kind of large black sweet, a black-colored gobstopper.
3. A substance for blacking shoes, boots, etc. or for taking impressions of engraved work.
4. (uncountable) A game, a standardized version of the English version of eight-ball.
5. (transitive) To vote against, especially in an exclusive organization.
6. (transitive) To ostracize.

Example Sentences

If you're not from a moneyed, well-connected family, you can count on getting blackballed from the fraternity.

Regardless how many other people may have voted to approve a candidate for membership, a single blackball will reject the candidate.

Why, if I had known you all my life I should have grown up in the condition of Adam before the fall, and they would have blackballed me at the clubs.

Henry knew. If he were blackballed by this distaff Mafia, he was doomed: Endless, but always justifiable, delays would occur in the work he wanted typed.

Word Forms

• blackballs
• blackballing
• blackballed

Synonyms for blackball

Depending on context, synonyms include niggerball, blacklist, brush off, discount, disregard, dissemble.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include veto, ostracize, shun, banish, negative, ban.

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