ENGLISH
REFERENCE

black gold

idiom
Meaning

Raw petroleum; crude oil.


Origin

disputed origin

(crude oil; coal; black pepper): From its black colour and high value.

Examples
SIMPLE

Many countries rely on black gold for their energy needs.

CONTEXTUAL

The economy of the region depends heavily on the extraction and sale of black gold.

COMPLEX

Throughout the twentieth century, nations frequently engaged in complex geopolitical maneuvers to secure steady access to the world's supply of black gold.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    black babies

    Third-world charities, the missions.

  2. 02

    black day

    A day of great disaster, misfortune or unhappiness.

  3. 03

    black hat

    A villain in a story, especially in a Western (a film or other work of the Western genre).

  4. 04

    black mark

    Something that negatively affects someone's reputation.

  5. 05

    black market

    Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.

  6. 06

    black out

    To censor or cover up by writing over with black ink.

  7. 07

    black over Bill's mother's

    Describing rain-bearing dark clouds on the horizon.

  8. 08

    black oxide

    Any of several coatings for steels or copper; some are oxides (mainly iron(II,III) oxide), some are nitrites or nitrates, and some are selenides; all are black; the main purposes are the antireflective and cosmetic effects; the anticorrosion effects are small.

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