the quality of a black body; or a colour arising from such a texture and situation of the superficial parts of the body as does as it were deaden, or rather absorb, the light falling on it, without reflecting any, or very little of it, to the eye.—In which sense, blackness stands directly opposed to whiteness; which consists in such a texture of parts as indifferently reflects all the rays thrown upon it, of what colour they be.

Descartes, says Dr Priestley, though mistaken with respect to the nature of light and colours, yet distinguishes justly between black and white; observing, that black suffocates and extinguishes the light that falls upon it, but that white reflects them. See BLACK.