BLACKLEG

scab, strikebreaker, blackleg, rat

(noun) someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike

fink, scab, rat, blackleg

(verb) take the place of work of someone on strike

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

blackleg (countable and uncountable, plural blacklegs)

(countable) A person who takes the place of striking workers; a scab.

Synonyms: scalie, strikebreaker

(countable) A person who cheats in a game; a cheater.

(countable, colloquial) A notorious gambler.

(uncountable, agriculture, veterinary medicine) A fatal cattle disease caused by the soil-borne bacterium Clostridium chauvoei; symptomatic anthrax.

Verb

blackleg (third-person singular simple present blacklegs, present participle blacklegging, simple past and past participle blacklegged)

To continue working whilst fellow workers strike.

Source: Wiktionary


Black"leg`, n.

1. A notorious gambler. [Colloq.]

2. A disease among calves and sheep, characterized by a settling of gelatinous matter in the legs, and sometimes in the neck. [Eng.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

22 February 2025

ANALYSIS

(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’


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Coffee Trivia

Plain brewed coffee contains almost no calories, while coffee with dairy products, sugar, and other flavorings is much higher in calories. An espresso has 20 calories. A nonfat latte has 72, while a flavored one has 134.

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