Sucker \Suck"er\ (s[u^]k"[~e]r), n.
     1. One who, or that which, sucks; esp., one of the organs by
        which certain animals, as the octopus and remora, adhere
        to other bodies.
  
     2. A suckling; a sucking animal. --Beau. & Fl.
  
     3. The embolus, or bucket, of a pump; also, the valve of a
        pump basket. --Boyle.
  
     4. A pipe through which anything is drawn.
  
     5. A small piece of leather, usually round, having a string
        attached to the center, which, when saturated with water
        and pressed upon a stone or other body having a smooth
        surface, adheres, by reason of the atmospheric pressure,
        with such force as to enable a considerable weight to be
        thus lifted by the string; -- used by children as a
        plaything.
  
     6. (Bot.) A shoot from the roots or lower part of the stem of
        a plant; -- so called, perhaps, from diverting nourishment
        from the body of the plant.
  
     7. (Zo["o]l.)
        (a) Any one of numerous species of North American
            fresh-water cyprinoid fishes of the family
            Catostomid[ae]; so called because the lips are
            protrusile. The flesh is coarse, and they are of
            little value as food. The most common species of the
            Eastern United States are the northern sucker
            ({Catostomus Commersoni), the white sucker ({C.
            teres), the hog sucker ({C. nigricans}), and the
            chub, or sweet sucker ({Erimyzon sucetta). Some of
            the large Western species are called buffalo fish,
            red horse, black horse, and suckerel.
        (b) The remora.
        (c) The lumpfish.
        (d) The hagfish, or myxine.
        (e) A California food fish ({Menticirrus undulatus)
            closely allied to the kingfish
        (a); -- called also bagre.
  
     8. A parasite; a sponger. See def. 6, above.
  
              They who constantly converse with men far above
              their estates shall reap shame and loss thereby; if
              thou payest nothing, they will count thee a sucker,
              no branch.                            --Fuller.
  
     9. A hard drinker; a soaker. [Slang]
  
     10. A greenhorn; one easily gulled. [Slang, U.S.]
  
     11. A nickname applied to a native of Illinois. [U. S.]
  
     Carp sucker, Cherry sucker, etc. See under Carp,
        Cherry, etc.
  
     Sucker fish. See Sucking fish, under Sucking.
  
     Sucker rod, a pump rod. See under Pump.
  
     Sucker tube (Zo["o]l.), one of the external ambulacral
        tubes of an echinoderm, -- usually terminated by a sucker
        and used for locomotion. Called also sucker foot. See
        Spatangoid.

  Black \Black\, a. [OE. blak, AS. bl[ae]c; akin to Icel. blakkr
     dark, swarthy, Sw. bl["a]ck ink, Dan. bl[ae]k, OHG. blach,
     LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not akin to AS.
     bl[=a]c, E. bleak pallid. ?98.]
     1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the
        color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark
        color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a
        color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.
  
              O night, with hue so black!           --Shak.
  
     2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in
        darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the
        heavens black with clouds.
  
              I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
                                                    --Shak.
  
     3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness;
        destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked;
        cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. ``This day's black
        fate.'' ``Black villainy.'' ``Arise, black vengeance.''
        ``Black day.'' ``Black despair.'' --Shak.
  
     4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen;
        foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
  
     Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words;
           as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired,
           black-visaged.
  
     Black act, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a
        felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc., or to
        hunt or steal deer, etc., with the face blackened or
        disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for
        malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been
        called black acts.
  
     Black angel (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the West Indies and
        Florida ({Holacanthus tricolor), with the head and tail
        yellow, and the middle of the body black.
  
     Black antimony (Chem.), the black sulphide of antimony,
        Sb2S3, used in pyrotechnics, etc.
  
     Black bear (Zo["o]l.), the common American bear ({Ursus
        Americanus).
  
     Black beast. See B[^e]te noire.
  
     Black beetle (Zo["o]l.), the common large cockroach
        ({Blatta orientalis).
  
     Black and blue, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh,
        which is accompanied with a mixture of blue. ``To pinch
        the slatterns black and blue.'' --Hudibras.
  
     Black bonnet (Zo["o]l.), the black-headed bunting ({Embriza
        Sch[oe]niclus) of Europe.
  
     Black canker, a disease in turnips and other crops,
        produced by a species of caterpillar.
  
     Black cat (Zo["o]l.), the fisher, a quadruped of North
        America allied to the sable, but larger. See Fisher.
  
     Black cattle, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in
        distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng.]
  
     Black cherry. See under Cherry.
  
     Black cockatoo (Zo["o]l.), the palm cockatoo. See
        Cockatoo.
  
     Black copper. Same as Melaconite.
  
     Black currant. (Bot.) See Currant.
  
     Black diamond. (Min.) See Carbonado.
  
     Black draught (Med.), a cathartic medicine, composed of
        senna and magnesia.
  
     Black drop (Med.), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation
        consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar.
        
  
     Black earth, mold; earth of a dark color. --Woodward.
  
     Black flag, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a
        skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance.
  
     Black+flea+(Zo["o]l.),+a+flea+beetle+({Haltica+nemorum">Black flea (Zo["o]l.), a flea beetle ({Haltica nemorum)
        injurious to turnips.
  
     Black flux, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal,
        obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of
        niter. --Brande & C.
  
     Black fly. (Zo["o]l.)
        (a) In the United States, a small, venomous, two-winged
            fly of the genus Simulium of several species,
            exceedingly abundant and troublesome in the northern
            forests. The larv[ae] are aquatic.
        (b) A black plant louse, as the bean aphis ({A. fab[ae]).
            
  
     Black Forest [a translation of G. Schwarzwald], a forest in
        Baden and W["u]rtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient
        Hercynian forest.
  
     Black game, or Black grouse. (Zo["o]l.) See Blackcock,
        Grouse, and Heath grouse.
  
     Black grass (Bot.), a grasslike rush of the species Juncus
        Gerardi, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay.
  
     Black gum (Bot.), an American tree, the tupelo or
        pepperidge. See Tupelo.
  
     Black Hamburg (grape) (Bot.), a sweet and juicy variety of
        dark purple or ``black'' grape.
  
     Black horse (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the Mississippi valley
        ({Cycleptus elongatus), of the sucker family; the
        Missouri sucker.
  
     Black lemur (Zo["o]l.), the Lemurniger of Madagascar; the
        acoumbo of the natives.
  
     Black list, a list of persons who are for some reason
        thought deserving of censure or punishment; -- esp. a list
        of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made
        for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See
        Blacklist, v. t.
  
     Black manganese (Chem.), the black oxide of manganese,
        MnO2.
  
     Black Maria, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried
        to or from jail.
  
     Black martin (Zo["o]l.), the chimney swift. See Swift.
  
     Black moss (Bot.), the common so-called long moss of the
        southern United States. See Tillandsia.
  
     Black oak. See under Oak.
  
     Black ocher. See Wad.
  
     Black pigment, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance,
        or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of
        printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar.
        
  
     Black plate, sheet iron before it is tinned. --Knight.
  
     Black quarter, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a
        shoulder or quarter, etc., as of an ox.
  
     Black rat (Zo["o]l.), one of the species of rats ({Mus
        rattus), commonly infesting houses.
  
     Black rent. See Blackmail, n., 3.
  
     Black rust, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist
        matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain.
  
     Black sheep, one in a family or company who is unlike the
        rest, and makes trouble.
  
     Black silver. (Min.) See under Silver.
  
     Black and tan, black mixed or spotted with tan color or
        reddish brown; -- used in describing certain breeds of
        dogs.
  
     Black tea. See under Tea.
  
     Black tin (Mining), tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed,
        stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form
        of a black powder, like fine sand. --Knight.
  
     Black walnut. See under Walnut.
  
     Black warrior (Zo["o]l.), an American hawk ({Buteo
        Harlani).
  
     Syn: Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;
          Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.

  
  
     3. Mounted soldiery; cavalry; -- used without the plural
        termination; as, a regiment of horse; -- distinguished
        from foot.
  
              The armies were appointed, consisting of twenty-five
              thousand horse and foot.              --Bacon.
  
     4. A frame with legs, used to support something; as, a
        clotheshorse, a sawhorse, etc.
  
     5. A frame of timber, shaped like a horse, on which soldiers
        were made to ride for punishment.
  
     6. Anything, actual or figurative, on which one rides as on a
        horse; a hobby.
  
     7. (Mining) A mass of earthy matter, or rock of the same
        character as the wall rock, occurring in the course of a
        vein, as of coal or ore; hence, to take horse -- said of a
        vein -- is to divide into branches for a distance.
  
     8. (Naut.)
        (a) See Footrope, a.
        (b) A breastband for a leadsman.
        (c) An iron bar for a sheet traveler to slide upon.
        (d) A jackstay. --W. C. Russell. --Totten.
  
     Note: Horse is much used adjectively and in composition to
           signify of, or having to do with, a horse or horses,
           like a horse, etc.; as, horse collar, horse dealer or
           horse?dealer, horsehoe, horse jockey; and hence, often
           in the sense of strong, loud, coarse, etc.; as,
           horselaugh, horse nettle or horse-nettle, horseplay,
           horse ant, etc.
  
     Black horse, Blood horse, etc. See under Black, etc.
  
     Horse aloes, caballine aloes.
  
     Horse+ant+(Zo["o]l.),+a+large+ant+({Formica+rufa">Horse ant (Zo["o]l.), a large ant ({Formica rufa); --
        called also horse emmet.
  
     Horse artillery, that portion of the artillery in which the
        cannoneers are mounted, and which usually serves with the
        cavalry; flying artillery.
  
     Horse balm (Bot.), a strong-scented labiate plant
        ({Collinsonia Canadensis), having large leaves and
        yellowish flowers.
  
     Horse bean (Bot.), a variety of the English or Windsor bean
        ({Faba vulgaris), grown for feeding horses.
  
     Horse boat, a boat for conveying horses and cattle, or a
        boat propelled by horses.
  
     Horse bot. (Zo["o]l.) See Botfly, and Bots.
  
     Horse box, a railroad car for transporting valuable horses,
        as hunters. [Eng.]
  
     Horse breaker or trainer, one employed in subduing or
        training horses for use.
  
     Horse car.
        (a) A railroad car drawn by horses. See under Car.
        (b) A car fitted for transporting horses.
  
     Horse cassia (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Cassia
        Javanica), bearing long pods, which contain a black,
        catharic pulp, much used in the East Indies as a horse
        medicine.
  
     Horse cloth, a cloth to cover a horse.
  
     Horse conch (Zo["o]l.), a large, spiral, marine shell of
        the genus Triton. See Triton.
  
     Horse courser.
        (a) One that runs horses, or keeps horses for racing.
            --Johnson.
        (b) A dealer in horses. [Obs.] --Wiseman.
  
     Horse crab (Zo["o]l.), the Limulus; -- called also
        horsefoot, horsehoe crab, and king crab.
  
     Horse crevall['e] (Zo["o]l.), the cavally.