blackball
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To vote against someone, especially to exclude them from membership in a club or organization: The primary meaning refers to a formal, often secret, negative vote that blocks a candidate's admission.
- To ostracize or expel from a group or community: It can also mean to reject or exclude someone socially or from participation.
Noun:
- A negative vote that excludes or vetoes: The act of blackballing someone, or the black ball itself used as a token of rejection in a voting process.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The committee decided to blackball the applicant due to concerns about his past conduct.
- After the scandal, he was blackballed from all the prestigious clubs in the city.
- Noun:
- A single blackball was enough to deny her membership.
- He received a blackball, ending his hopes of joining the society.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Procedural Context: Traditionally, in secret society votes, a white ball signified a "yes" and a black ball a "no." One or two black balls could be enough to reject a candidate.
- The old-fashioned rule required only two blackballs to exclude a nominee.
Variants and Related Words
- Blackballing (n/gerund): The process or practice of excluding someone by a negative vote.
- The blackballing of qualified candidates was seen as unfair.
- Blackballer (n): A person who casts a blackball or engages in blackballing.
Synonyms
- Verb: Veto, reject, exclude, ostracize, bar, ban, expel.
- Noun: Veto, rejection, negative vote.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- To be blackballed: This is the most common idiomatic usage, describing the state of having been excluded.
- He feared he would be blackballed if he spoke out against the leadership.
Noun
- the act of excluding someone by a negative vote or veto
Verb
- vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
- The President vetoed the bill
- expel from a community or group