nigritude

American  

[nig-ri-tood, -tyood, nahy-gri-] / ˈnɪg rɪˌtud, -ˌtyud, ˈnaɪ grɪ- /

noun

1. complete darkness or blackness.

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nigritude British  

/ ˈnɪɡrɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. rare blackness; darkness

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Etymology

Origin of nigritude

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin nigritūdō “blackness, black color,” equivalent to nigr- (stem of niger ) “black” + -i- connecting vowel + -tūdō noun suffix; -i-, -tude

Example Sentences

Met a charcoal cart, run against us and distributed a shower of pulverized nigritude over the company, to the great damage of the clean linen of the gentlemen, and the adornments generally of the ladies, especially those little white rosettes which they had tied on the backs of their heads, and dignified with the fabulous title of bonnets.

From Project Gutenberg

It was to Haarlem, it will be remembered, that the fair Frisian travelled with Cornelius van Baerle’s solitary flower in La Tulipe Noire, and won the prize of 100,000 florins offered for a blossom of pure nigritude by the Horticultural Society of Haarlem.

From Project Gutenberg