black-a-vised
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of black-a-vised
1750–60; Scots blackaviced, equivalent to black a vice (one) black of face ( black + a 3 + obsolete vice < Middle French vis; visage ) + -ed 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I kom," and they saw the black-a-vised crew set to launching a boat, with vicious side-glances at their oppressor.
From Project Gutenberg
A night or two later, to his amazement, Macro came out of his own cabin more black-a-vised than he had ever seen him, and asked abruptly, "Where's that cross?"
From Project Gutenberg
But these black-a-vised rogues of ours defy reasoning.
From Project Gutenberg
Dude Hennick, dashing, black-a-vised flyer, will soon reappear in Milton Caniff's comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.
From Time Magazine Archive
Lean, black-a-vised, hollow-eyed, Monsignor Sheen is a persuasive, lucid speaker, with a well-cultivated voice, who can make religion sensible and attractive to great masses of people.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
