blackface

English
A white comedian with his face caked in black makeup and exaggerated lips, dressed in a tuxedo
Vaudevillian Bert Williams in blackface, 1921

Alternative forms

Etymology

From black +‎ face.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈblækˌfeɪs/

Noun

blackface (countable and uncountable, plural blackfaces)

  1. (uncountable) A style of makeup in which a non-black person blackens their face, usually in order to portray a black person.
    • 2019, Farah Andrews, “Filipina Actress Liza Soberano Slammed for Mel B 'Blackface'”, in The National News:
      Soberano hit back at Instagram comments, writing, "This is not any form of blackface." But has since backtracked.
  2. (countable) A sheep of the Scottish Blackface breed.
  3. Synonym of boldface
    • 1917, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Journal - Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania‎, →OCLC:
      The laboratory procedure in the most important tests and methods is printed in blackface type for convenience of reference.

Derived terms
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