black swan

noun

1. an Australian swan, Cygnus atratus, having mostly black plumage and a red bill.
2. an occurrence or phenomenon that comes as a surprise because it was not predicted or was hard to predict (often used attributively):

   a disastrous black-swan event that only appeared obvious in hindsight.

black swan

noun

1. a large Australian swan, Cygnus atratus , that has a black plumage and red bill
2. a phenomenon that occurs even though it had been thought to be impossible

Word History and Origins

Origin of black swan¹

black swan ( def 2 ) from the belief that all swans were white, before the first sighting of Australian black swans

Word History and Origins

Origin of black swan¹

sense 2 from the fact all swans were thought to be white until black swans were discovered in Australia

Example Sentences

The film Black Swan, with costumes by Rodarte, had an enormous impact on fashion.

From The Daily Beast

Natalie Portman The Black Swan Oscar winner rapped on SNL with The Lonely Island.

From The Daily Beast

The Fountain was one long fight, The Wrestler was divorce, and then we reconciled on Black Swan.

From The Daily Beast

Both The Fountain and Black Swan had their own exhibits, the latter of which Sidhu also assisted on.

From The Daily Beast

Craig Johnson just had Skeleton Twins come out and Mark Heyman wrote Black Swan.

From The Daily Beast

The Black Swan, is singing to fine fashionable houses, and bids fair to stand unrivalled in the world of Song.

From Project Gutenberg

One of these spring announcements was discovered, some years since, in an old drawer at the “Black Swan.”

From Project Gutenberg

Mrs. Finn had long since been quite sure that a real black swan had been sent forth out of her nest.

From Project Gutenberg

So at last we found that the Black Swan was entirely our own.

From Project Gutenberg

The black swan can hardly be called a game bird, but it is shot on all the lakes and swamps along the southern coast.

From Project Gutenberg