blackball | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

2 entries found.

also black-ball, "to exclude from a club by adverse votes," 1770, from black (adj.) + ball (n.1). The image is of the black balls of wood or ivory that were dropped into an urn as adverse votes during secret ballots. Related: Blackballed; blackballing.

pill (v.1)

1736, "to dose on pills," from pill (n.). From 1882 as "to form into pills." In club slang, "to reject by vote, blackball" (1855). Related: Pilled; pilling.

Trending words

1. etymology
2. orange
3. tarnation
4. remember
5. skedaddle
6. self
7. philistine
8. andiron
9. nice
10. woman