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black-letter day

American  
[blak-let-er] / ˈblækˌlɛt ər /

noun

  1. an unlucky or tragic day.

Etymology

Origin of black-letter day

First recorded in 1750–60

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.

"A black-letter day for law enforcement," mourned a Philadelphia prosecutor.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then there came a dreadful black-letter day for the child; for the father, the end of life.

From Project Gutenberg

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.