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

That has led to a focus on compact objects, like neutron stars and black holes—especially a class of neutron stars called magnetars—as likely sources. —Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2025

Scientists think the jets are powered by supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

The instrument studies black holes, superdense stellar remnants known as neutron stars and other cosmic phenomena in X-ray light from its perch outside the orbiting lab. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2025

In the meantime, astronomers will keep their telescopes pointed on the black hole. —Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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