English Explanatory Dictionary

blacken

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb

To cause to be or become black.
To become black.
To make dirty.
To defame or sully.
To cook (meat or fish) by coating with pepper, etc., and quickly searing in a hot pan.

Pronunciation

/ˈblækən/ en-us-blacken.ogg

Word forms

blacken blackens blackening blackened

Etymology

From Middle English blaknen, blakkenen, equivalent to black + -en (verbal suffix).

Synonyms

black blacken black up blackwash blatch bletch denigrate forswart infuscate nigrify pitch swart swarten dirty soil assoil beclart bedaub bedirty imbrue (especially with blood) bedizen befile befilth befoul begrime beray beshit besmear besmirch besully bewray blot blur clat contaminate darken defile dirten elt file foil foul gunk gunk up inquinate scunge sling mud slotter slur smear smirch smudge smut smutch soss sowl spot stain sullow sully

Related words

black color

Derived words

blackened crust blackener blackenization blackenize overblacken reblacken

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