This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
black hat
[ blak-hat ]
/ ˈblæk ˈhæt /
See the most commonly confused word associated with white hat
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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.
COMPARE MEANINGS
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
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. 2022
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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012