/ dɑːk; NAmE dɑːrk/ adjective , noun
■ adjective
( dark·er , dark·est )
WITH LITTLE LIGHT
1.
with no or very little light, especially because it is night :
a dark room / street / forest
What time does it get dark in summer?
It was dark outside and I couldn't see much.
OPP light
COLOURS
2.
not light; closer in shade to black than to white :
dark blue / green / red, etc.
Darker colours are more practical and don't show stains.
OPP light , pale
3.
having a colour that is close to black :
a dark suit
dark-coloured wood
The dark clouds in the sky meant that a storm was coming.
HAIR / SKIN / EYES
4.
brown or black in colour :
Sue has long dark hair.
Even if you have dark skin, you still need protection from the sun.
5.
( of a person ) having dark hair, eyes, etc. :
a dark handsome stranger
OPP fair
MYSTERIOUS
6.
mysterious; hidden and not known about :
There are no dark secrets in our family.
EVIL
7.
evil or frightening :
There was a darker side to his nature.
the dark forces of the imagination
WITHOUT HOPE
8.
unpleasant and without any hope that sth good will happen :
the darkest days of Fascism
The film is a dark vision of the future.
PHONETICS
9.
( of a speech sound ) produced with the back part of the tongue close to the back of the mouth. In many accents of English, dark /l/ is used after a vowel, as in ball .
OPP clear
•
IDIOMS
- a dark horse
- keep sth dark
■ noun
NO LIGHT
1.
the dark [ sing. ] the lack of light in a place, especially because it is night :
All the lights went out and we were left in the dark .
Are the children afraid of the dark?
animals that can see in the dark
COLOUR
2.
[ U ] an amount of sth that is dark in colour :
patterns of light and dark
•
IDIOMS
- after / before dark
- in the dark (about sth)
- a shot / stab in the dark
—more at leap noun
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English deorc , of Germanic origin, probably distantly related to German tarnen conceal.