英和和英

発音

名詞

black magic (uncountable)

1. Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.

   Synonyms: black art, cacomagic, dark magic; see also Thesaurus:black magic

   Antonym: white magic

   Coordinate term: gray magic

   • 1965, Attila Zohar, Kings Cross Black Magic, Sydney: Horwitz Publications, page 77:

     Witches are often accused of the same sort of Devil worship as the Black Magic followers.

2. (figuratively, by extension) A technology, process, etc., that is mysterious, esoteric; anything which appears to be almost magic to those who do not understand it.

   Synonym: black art

   Coordinate term: black box

   • 1920, “Two Pictures on a Single Canvas”, in Technology Review, page 579:

     This is the fact of a new and vitally interesting experiment in the realm of physics, psychology, and art. There is no trick to this, as tricks go, except the mathematical magic of simple physics. Of course, simple physics for one man is black magic for another.

   • 1970, Charles Nasem, The National Center for Law Information concept: a discussion, page 16:

     The NCFLI will provide a step-by-step explanation of the processes involved. This should be done in order to dispel, to the extent possible, the notion that computerized production of legal texts and reports is "black magic," or that a hard copy of the processed text is something quite mysterious.

使用する際の注意点

• When referring to technology, calling something (plain) magic means that it is not widely understood, but suggests it can be understood by those versed in the field. Black magic suggests few understand it.

派生語

• black magical
• black magician

関連する語

• (evil spiritualism): Black Mass, black Sabbath

参考

• black hat, white hat, gray hat