black hat

[ blak-hat ]

/ ˈblæk ˈhæt /

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noun Informal.

a villain, as in a cowboy movie; bad guy.

Also called black hat hack·er .Computers. a hacker who violates the security of a system without the knowledge or consent of the owner or developer, as for personal profit or for the gratification of causing damage.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about black hat

wear / put on a black hat, to behave villainously.

Compare white hat.

Origin of black hat

First recorded in 1955–60 for def. 1, and in 1990–95 for def. 2; from the black hat worn by the villain in a cowboy movie

OTHER WORDS FROM black hat

black-hat, black-hat·ted, adjective

Words nearby black hat

black gold, black grouse, blackguard, black guillemot, Black Hand, black hat, black haw, Black Hawk, Black Hawk War, blackhead, black-headed gull

How to use black hat in a sentence

There is Joan Crawford in a huge black hat, her face, said Horst, “is all make-up, a mask not a face.”
How Horst Captured Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, and Vivien Leigh—and Changed Fashion Photography|Patrick Strudwick|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In his latest book, I Wear the Black Hat, Klosterman admits that he was “hating Coldplay in order to avoid hating myself.”
Why Is It Cool to Hate Coldplay? A First Listen of New Album ‘Ghost Stories’|Andrew Romano|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Loyau-Kennett simply refused to take the message from the man in the black hat.
The Woman Who Stood Up to the Woolwich Butchers|Christopher Dickey|May 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They called it the “Take off the Black Hat” campaign and the changes came immediately, Yang claimed.
China’s Chernobyl Cleans Up Its Act|The Telegraph|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Hastings is said to have an unofficial “uniform” of his own, which consists of jeans, a gray T-shirt, and a black hat.
The Great Transformation of Rooney Mara Into Lisbeth Salander|Isabel Wilkinson|January 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The girl was dressed in a pearl grey and pink sports coat, with a large black hat, and carried a silver chain handbag.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
What dress she wore was black, and on her golden head was an immense black hat covered with feathers.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
A black hat, wide of brim and carefully creased, replaced the nondescript felt affair which Bill usually wore.
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman
Jimmy sat bolt upright, his black hat pendant between his knees.
Blazed Trail Stories|Stewart Edward White
They were driven by a tall man, with a long brown beard and a great black hat, which seemed to hide his face from us.
Dracula|Bram Stoker

British Dictionary definitions for black hat

black hat

noun

informal

a computer hacker who carries out illegal malicious hacking work
(as modifier)black-hat hackers Compare white hat

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012