Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

black box

/ˈblæk.bɒx/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.90 in modern English

Syllables: black- box
IPA: /ˈblæk.bɒx/

25

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident.

Informal

noun

Any similar device on motor vehicles, such as rail event recorders and ship trip recorders.

noun

A theoretical construct or device with known input and output characteristics but unknown method of operation.

noun

A device used in phreaking that prevents the calling party from being billed for the call placed.

noun

A type of theater characterized by a lack of decoration or complex mechanisms.

noun

Synonym of football (“the leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President”)

verb

To focus on the inputs and outputs without worrying about the internal complexity.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"scrutinizing all utterances recorded by the black box"
"the pilothouse's analogue of an airliner's black box"
"The authentication method and its details can be treated as a black box for purposes of this security architecture overview."

Etymology

* Since c. 1945 in both main senses (that is, event recorders and objects with unknown innards), which are historically related to each other; for details, see black box § History and flight recorder § Terminology. * (a type of theater): Such theaters are often painted black.

Usage

Inflected Forms

black boxes (plural) blackbox (alternative) black boxes (present, singular) black boxing (participle, present) black boxed (participle, past) black boxed (past)

Phrases

black box insurance black-box testing black body black magic black box warning

Frequently Paired Words

black box insurance black-box testing black body black magic black box warning body camera dashcam QAR

Synonyms

event recorder opaque box trip recorder football

Questions

How do you pronounce black box?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈblæk.bɒx/.
What does black box mean?: A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident.
Where does black box come from?: * Since c. 1945 in both main senses (that is, event recorders and objects with unknown innards), which are historically related to each other; for details, see black box § History and flight recorder § Terminology. * (a type of theater): Such theaters are often painted black.

How to pronounce black box

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “black box”.
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