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Definition of blackball verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

blackball

verb
 
/ˈblækbɔːl/
 
/ˈblækbɔːl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they blackball
 
/ˈblækbɔːl/
 
/ˈblækbɔːl/
he / she / it blackballs
 
/ˈblækbɔːlz/
 
/ˈblækbɔːlz/
past simple blackballed
 
/ˈblækbɔːld/
 
/ˈblækbɔːld/
past participle blackballed
 
/ˈblækbɔːld/
 
/ˈblækbɔːld/
-ing form blackballing
 
/ˈblækbɔːlɪŋ/
 
/ˈblækbɔːlɪŋ/
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  1. blackball somebody to prevent somebody from joining a club or a group by voting against them
    • He was blackballed when he tried to join the Country Club.
    Word Originlate 18th cent.: from the practice of registering an adverse vote by placing a black ball in a ballot box.
See blackball in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
halfway
adverb
 
 
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