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black market

noun

Etymology

Ca. 1930, probably a calque of German Schwarzmarkt, which is attested from the 1910s. Compare Schwärzer (“smuggler”, 18th c.).

  1. calqued from Schwarzmarkt

Definitions

  1. Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.

    • Peace and order will not be tolerated. Start saving your cash for the black market, folks, you're gonna need it.
    • Increasing numbers of people are turning to a growing black market for food to supplement their diets as prices rocket, experts have said.

  2. The people who engage in such trade, or that sector of the economy.

    • associational black market

The neighborhood

Derived

black marketeer

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for black market. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA