blackleg

/'blækleg/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
blackleg

A worker crosses the picket line as a blackleg during the factory strike.

Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A person who continues to work or who accepts employment in place of striking workers: A "blackleg" is someone who works, or who provides workers, during a strike, thereby undermining the collective action of the strikers. This term is strongly pejorative.
    • A swindler, especially in gambling or racing contexts: Historically, "blackleg" can also refer to a cheat or a dishonest gambler, particularly at horse races.

  2. Verb:

    • To act as a strikebreaker; to take the place of work of someone who is on strike: To "blackleg" means to work while others are striking, or to provide labor that replaces striking workers.
Examples of Usage

  • Noun:

    • The union members refused to speak to the blacklegs who crossed the picket line.
    • He was labeled a blackleg for taking a job at the factory during the strike.
    • The old book warned against trusting blacklegs at the racetrack.

  • Verb:

    • Several workers were accused of blacklegging when the plant reopened.
    • The company tried to blackleg the operation by hiring temporary staff.
Advanced Usage
  • "To be called/considered a blackleg": To be identified and condemned as a strikebreaker.
    • Anyone who crossed the line was immediately considered a blackleg.
  • Historical usage in gambling: While less common today, the term can appear in historical contexts describing fraud.
    • The novel depicted a 19th-century blackleg who rigged card games.
Variants and Related Words
  • Strikebreaker (n): A more neutral synonym for a person who works during a strike.
  • Scab (n): A very common and highly derogatory slang synonym for "blackleg."
  • Blacklegging (n): The action or practice of working as a strikebreaker.
Synonyms
  • Strikebreaker: A person who works during a strike.
  • Scab: (Slang, derogatory) A strikebreaker.
  • Knobstick: (Archaic, chiefly British) A strikebreaker.
Related Phrases
  • To cross the picket line: To go to work despite an ongoing strike, an action synonymous with blacklegging.
    • He faced immense pressure not to cross the picket line and blackleg.
  • Replacement worker: A formal, non-pejorative term for someone hired to replace a striking employee.
blackleg

A worker crosses the picket line as a blackleg during the factory strike.

Noun
  1. someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike
Verb
  1. take the place of work of someone on strike

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