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blackamoor
[ blak-uh-moor ]
/ ˈblæk əˌmʊər /
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noun
Older Use: Disparaging and Offensive.
- a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.
- a contemptuous term used to refer to any dark-skinned person.
Art. a stylized depiction of a Black servant in rich clothing, classical robes, or noble tribal costume, used as a decorative element in furniture, textiles, or jewelry, especially during the period of European colonialism.
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Origin of blackamoor
First recorded in 1540–50; unexplained variant of phrase Black Moor
usage note for blackamoor
So-called blackamoors, or Black Moors, were Black servants, originally enslaved North Africans, who worked in wealthy European households from the 15th-18th centuries. The negative connotation of the term comes from its historical association with servitude and from the perception that Black Moors were strangely exotic. In 1596, Queen Elizabeth I targeted them for deportation.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use blackamoor in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for blackamoor
blackamoor
/ (ˈblækəˌmʊə, -ˌmɔː) /
noun
archaic a Black African or other person with dark skin
Word Origin for blackamoor
C16: see Black, Moor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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