Dark Continent, The

noun

Africa: so called, especially during the 19th century, because little was known about it.

Origin of Dark Continent, The

First recorded in 1875–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for dark continent

Dark Continent

noun

the Dark Continent a term for Africa when it was relatively unexplored

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