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There was all this talk when Obama got elected about how we were living in a postracial world. But we're not. Until we get to the point where James Earl Jones can play, say, George Washington, race matters. You wouldn't put a white actor in blackface to play Othello. You shouldn't have a white actor in what amounts to yellowface to play Asian.
David Henry Hwang

Meaning of "blackface" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF BLACKFACE

blackface  [ˈblækˌfeɪs] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF BLACKFACE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Blackface is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES BLACKFACE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

blackface

Blackface

Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used by performers to represent a black person. It is often considered offensive, because it can imply stereotyped caricature of black people as in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation" or the "dandified coon". In 1848, blackface minstrel shows were an American national art of the time, translating formal art such as opera into popular terms for a general audience. Early in the 20th century, blackface branched off from the minstrel show and became a form in its own right, until it ended in the United States with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Blackface was an important performance tradition in the American theater for roughly 100 years beginning around 1830. It quickly became popular elsewhere, particularly so in Britain, where the tradition lasted longer than in the US, occurring on primetime TV as late as 1978 and 1981.

Definition of blackface in the English dictionary

The first definition of blackface in the dictionary is a performer made up to imitate a Black person. Other definition of blackface is the make-up used by such a performer, usually consisting of burnt cork. Blackface is also a breed of sheep having a dark face.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH BLACKFACE


biface
ˈbaɪˌfeɪs
boldface
ˈbəʊldˌfeɪs
Boniface
ˈbɒnɪˌfeɪs
catface
ˈkætˌfeɪs
chalkface
ˈtʃɔːkˌfeɪs
clubface
ˈklʌbˌfeɪs
coalface
ˈkəʊlˌfeɪs
dogface
ˈdɒɡˌfeɪs
hardface
ˈhɑːdˌfeɪs
interface
ˈɪntəˌfeɪs
light-face
ˈlaɪtˌfeɪs
moonface
ˈmuːnˌfeɪs
paleface
ˈpeɪlˌfeɪs
pigface
ˈpɪɡˌfeɪs
pudding-face
ˈpʊdɪŋˌfeɪs
shitface
ˈʃɪtˌfeɪs
typeface
ˈtaɪpˌfeɪs
uniface
ˈjuːnɪˌfeɪs
wheyface
ˈweɪˌfeɪs
whiteface
ˈwaɪtˌfeɪs

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE BLACKFACE

blackbutt
blackcap
blackcock
blackcurrant
blackcurrant bush
blackdamp
blacken
blackened
blackener
Blackett
Blackfeet
blackfella
blackfin
blackfish
blackflies
blackfly
Blackfoot
blackgame
blackguard
blackguardism

WORDS THAT END LIKE BLACKFACE

a slap in the face
air-to-surface
come to the surface
en face
face
face to face
face-to-face
full face
in-your-face
new face
on the surface
poker face
preface
road surface
rock face
Scarface
Scottish Blackface
surface
surface-to-surface
user interface

Synonyms and antonyms of blackface in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «blackface» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF BLACKFACE

Find out the translation of blackface to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of blackface from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «blackface» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

黑脸
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

Blackface
570 millions of speakers

English

blackface
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

काले चेहरे
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

المكياج
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

Blackface
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

blackface
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

কালো মুখ
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

blackface
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Blackface
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

blackface
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

ブラックフェース
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

블랙 페이스
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Blackface
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

blackface
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

கருப்புமுகம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

ब्लॅक फेस
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

siyah baskı
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

Blackface
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

Blackface
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Blackface
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

aldin
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

Blackface
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

Zwartkop
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

blackface
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

Blackface
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of blackface

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «BLACKFACE»

The term «blackface» is regularly used and occupies the 73.197 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
66
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «blackface» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of blackface
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «blackface».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «BLACKFACE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «blackface» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «blackface» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about blackface

EXAMPLES

2 QUOTES WITH «BLACKFACE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word blackface.
1
Bela Fleck
I think it is very ironic that most people think that the banjo is a southern white instrument. It came from Africa and even for the first years that white people played banjo they would put on blackface.
2
David Henry Hwang
There was all this talk when Obama got elected about how we were living in a postracial world. But we're not. Until we get to the point where James Earl Jones can play, say, George Washington, race matters. You wouldn't put a white actor in blackface to play Othello. You shouldn't have a white actor in what amounts to yellowface to play Asian.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «BLACKFACE»

Discover the use of blackface in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to blackface and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Blackface
This series explores the blackface myth embodied in "black memorabilia" -- once ubiquitous household objects infused with racist caricature.
‎1999
2
Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in ...
Presents an analysis of American racial attitudes as reflected by the historical practice of "blackface," exploring its past role in entertainment, its continuing impact, and its role as a symbol of positive advances in modern race ...
John Strausbaugh, 2007
3
Beyond Blackface: African Americans and the Creation of ...
Beyond Blackface This collection of thirteen essays, edited by W. Fitzhugh Brundage, brings together original work from sixteen scholars in various disciplines to present a fresh look at the history of African Americans and mass culture.
William Fitzhugh Brundage, 2011
4
Demons of Disorder: Early Blackface Minstrels and Their World
A study of blackface minstrels in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Dale Cockrell, 1997
5
Raising Cain: Blackface Performance from Jim Crow to Hip Hop
The story of an insubordinate, rebellious, truly popular culture stretching from Jim Crow to hip hop is told for the first time in Raising Cain, a provocative look at how the outcasts of official culture have made their own place in the ...
W. T. Lhamon, 1998
6
Blackface: A Novel
To protect his mother, teenager Demitris Zachery a.k.a. Black must run away from home. Forced to mingle with the worst elements and conditions of urban life, he meets Face, Penny and Zero-- together they fend for the American Dream.
Q. B. Wells, 2009
7
Blackface, White Noise: Jewish Immigrants in the Hollywood ...
The tangled connections that have bound Jews to African Americans in popular culture and liberal politics are at the heart of Michael Rogin's arresting and unnerving book.
Michael Rogin, 1996
8
Behind the Burnt Cork Mask: Early Blackface Minstrelsy and ...
Behind the Burnt Cork Mask reassesses relationships between blackface comedy and other genres and traditions of Western theater; between the music of minstrel shows and its European sources; between blackface performance and socially ...
William John Mahar, 1999
9
Representing African Americans in Transatlantic Abolitionism ...
In this intriguing study, Robert Nowatzki reveals the unexpected relationships between blackface entertainment and antislavery sentiment in the United States and Britain.
Robert Nowatzki, 2010
10
Love & Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working ...
Following the appearance of Love and Theft in 1993, in 1996 there was Michael Rogin's Blackface, White Noise: Jewish Immigrants in the Hollywood Melting Pot (with, on the cover, the comedian Eddie Cantor blacking up, in the mirror, ...
Eric Lott, 2013

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «BLACKFACE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term blackface is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Serena Williams troubled by Wimbledon 'blackface' trend
Nick Krygios (top right) has inspired a "blackface" trend among his fans, and Serena Williams isn't sure what to say about it. Photo: AP, Reuters ... «New York Post, Jul 15»
2
Star Trek Icon Apologizes for Clarence Thomas 'Blackface' Slur
George Takei called Thomas a “clown in blackface” following the ... "I was still seething, and I referred to him as a 'clown in blackface' to ... «The Root, Jul 15»
3
George Takei Backtracks on Clarence Thomas 'Blackface' Comment
George Takei has backtracked on the "blackface" comments he made about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in which the former ... «Newsmax, Jul 15»
4
George Takei Apologizes for Calling Clarence Thomas `Clown in …
The "clown in blackface" comment was blatantly racist, and offensive in any context. Instead of dwelling on Thomas` Neanderthal views, Takei ... «Student Operated Press, Jul 15»
5
Faculty member wants DSU name changed
... flags appearing in the yearbook, with students appearing in blackface. There's a mock hanging in one of the yearbooks," Larsen-Rife said. «Good4Utah, Jul 15»
6
Reem's Wimbledon Diary: Stars out in force to watch Serena …
The problem is that many others online have called this trend racist and likening it to blackface, which prompted some journalists to ask both ... «Sport360°, Jul 15»
7
12-Year-Old Black Conservative Receives Twitter Death Threats for …
When Takei called Justice Thomas a "clown in blackface" and a "disgrace to ... “But yet, when they say that someone's going to 'blackface'? «NewsBusters, Jul 15»
8
Drill team mocks newsmakers; some Lake Bluff parade-goers offended
"This is the year we could have gone blackface because of the Rachel Dolezal stuff," he said, referring to the NAACP president in Spokane, ... «Chicago Tribune, Jul 15»
9
WATCH This Young Black Conservative Woman's Epic Takedown …
“He is a clown in blackface sitting on the Supreme Court,” Takei said. “He gets me that angry. He doesn't belong there.” Advertisement ... «Western Journalism, Jul 15»
10
POV: Balance Needed in Removing Names of Leaders Deemed …
The film depicted African Americans (most played by white actors in blackface) as uncouth, uncivilized rabble. While the National Association ... «BU Today, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Blackface [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/blackface>. May 2024 ».
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