black hat
A villain in a story, especially in a Western (a film or other work of the Western genre).
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The man in the black hat is the villain.”
“In the old movie, the hero faces off against the black hat who terrorizes the town.”
“The director subverted expectations by casting the protagonist as a black hat, blurring the traditional lines between morality and malice.”
The term derives from the black hats traditionally worn by men in Haredi communities. The headwear is a characteristic element of the specific religious dress required by the Haredi lifestyle.
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all hat and no cattle
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
- 02
all hat and no cowboy
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
- 03
black babies
Third-world charities, the missions.
- 04
black day
A day of great disaster, misfortune or unhappiness.
- 05
black gold
Raw petroleum; crude oil.
- 06
black mark
Something that negatively affects someone's reputation.
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black market
Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.
- 08
black out
To censor or cover up by writing over with black ink.
Last updated August 10, 2026