bootblack

English

Etymology

boot + black

Noun

bootblack (plural bootblacks)

  1. (dated) A shoeshine boy; a person who shines shoes as an occupation.
    • 1922, Sinclair Lewis, “24”, in Babbitt:
      The young negro bootblack hummed "The Camp Meeting Blues" and polished in rhythm to his tune, drawing the shiny shoe-rag so taut at each stroke that it snapped like a banjo string.

Synonyms

Translations

Verb

bootblack (third-person singular simple present bootblacks, present participle bootblacking, simple past and past participle bootblacked)

  1. (transitive) To shine shoes.
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