darktown

[ dahrk-toun ]

/ ˈdɑrkˌtaʊn /

noun Older Use: Usually Offensive.

a part of a town or city inhabited largely by blacks.

Nearby words

darkling beetle, darkly, darkness, darkroom, darksome, darktown, darky, darlan, darlene, darling, darling downs

Origin of darktown

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; dark + town

Usage note

This term from the 1880s, as used in the American South, is usually perceived as insulting and racist. But Darktown Strutters’ Ball was the name of a popular jazz song written in 1917.