black hole

noun

1

: a celestial object that has a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape it and that is believed to be created especially in the collapse of a very massive star

2

: something resembling a black hole: such as

a

: something that consumes a resource continually

a financial black hole

b

: an empty space : void

… the archives of the past few years are a black hole.

—David Herman

c

: a dark and seemingly inescapable state or situation

the black hole of depression

Synonyms

• blank
• blankness
• emptiness
• vacancy
• vacuity
• void

Examples of black hole in a Sentence

discovered that there was a black hole in the library's collection with regard to her topic

Recent Examples on the Web

Walker will be a force in the middle of the Astros’ lineup, but the club may benefit more from the defense from a three-time Gold Glove winner at a position that’s turned into a black hole in Houston. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Using the mathematics of Einstein's 1915 theory of gravity, called general relativity, scientists can model the interior of a black hole. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025

The theory also suggests that other black holes — all of which rotate, according to NASA — could be wormholes that lead to other universes. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025

Gallagher points to escape velocity to understand the mechanics of a black hole. —Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for black hole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

black hole

noun

: an invisible region believed to exist in space having a very strong gravitational field and thought to be caused by the collapse of a star