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black hat
[ blak-hat ]
/ ˈblæk ˈhæt /
See the most commonly confused word associated with white hat
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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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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, adjectiveWords 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use black hat in a sentence
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
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