black hole

¹

[ blak hohl ]

noun

1. Astronomy. a theoretical massive object, formed at the beginning of the universe or by the gravitational collapse of a star exploding as a supernova, whose gravitational field is so intense that no electromagnetic radiation can escape.
2. a deep, immeasurable space into which people or things vanish; an abyss:

   I use earphones every day, but hate digging around for them in my black hole of a purse.

Black Hole

²

[ blak hohl ]

noun

1. Also called Black Hole of Cal·cut·ta [blak, , hohl, , uh, v kal-, kuht, -, uh]. a small prison cell in Fort William, Calcutta, in which, in 1756, Indians are said to have imprisoned 146 Europeans, only 23 of whom were alive the following morning.
2. (lowercase) any usually wretched place of imprisonment or confinement.

black hole

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

black hole

1. An extremely dense celestial object whose gravitational field is so strong that not even light can escape from its vicinity. Black holes are believed to form in the aftermath of a supernova with the collapse of the star's core.
2. See also event horizonSee more at star

black hole

1. In astronomy , an object so massive that nothing, not even light , can escape its gravitation . Black holes were given their name because they absorb all the light that falls on them. The existence of black holes was first predicted by the general theory of relativity . Supermassive black holes have been found in the centers of many galaxies . Stellar black holes are thought to arise from the death of very massive stars . Astronomers expect to find many stellar black holes in the Milky Way .

Notes

Figuratively, the term black hole is used to refer to a total disappearance: “They never saw the man again — he might as well have fallen into a black hole.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of black hole¹

First recorded in 1940–45 black hole fordef 2; 1960–65 black hole fordef 1

A Closer Look

When a very massive star ends its life in a supernova explosion, the remaining matter collapses in upon itself. If there is enough mass in this collapsed star, it becomes a black hole. A black hole is so dense that its gravitational forces are strong enough to prevent anything that comes close enough to the region known as the event horizon from escaping. Even light cannot escape, since the escape velocity (the velocity needed for an object to escape some larger object's gravitational field) necessary to escape a black hole is greater than the speed of light. Black holes are extremely dense: for the Sun, which has a diameter of about 1,390,000 kilometers (862,000 miles), to be as dense as a black hole, its entire mass would have to be squeezed down to a ball fewer than 3 kilometers (5 miles) across. Some theorists postulate that the material in a black hole may be compressed to a single point of infinite density called a singularity. Because astronomers cannot directly observe a black hole, they infer its existence from the effects of its gravitational pull. For example, when a black hole results from the collapse of one star in a binary star system, it attracts material from the remaining star. This material forms an accretion disk, which compresses and heats up until it emits detectable x-rays. Black holes are thought to reside in the centers of many galaxies, including our own Milky Way.

Example Sentences

Conservative shadow communities minister David Simmonds claimed the government had left a £2.4bn "black hole" in councils budgets.

From BBC

But the Conservatives claimed Labour had left a "black hole" in council finances.

From BBC

The night is always supposedly darkest before the dawn — and activists are now staring at a black hole seemingly larger than what they faced in 1994.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a black hole for the exchange of news.

From Slate

"Put in strictly monetary terms, failing to use evidence-based measures to reduce reoffending is creating a gaping black hole in public finances," said Mr Robb.

From BBC

Related Words

• supernova
• void