black hole(noun)

a region of space resulting from the collapse of a star; extremely high gravitational field

black hole(Noun)

A gravitationally domineering celestial body with an event horizon from which even light cannot escape; the most dense material in the universe, condensed into a singularity, usually formed by a collapsing massive star.

black hole(Noun)

A sphere of influence into which or from which communication or similar activity is precluded.

black hole(Noun)

An entity which consumes time or resources without demonstrable utility.

Black hole

a dungeon or dark cell in a prison; a military lock-up or guardroom; -- now commonly with allusion to the cell (the Black Hole) in a fort at Calcutta, into which 146 English prisoners were thrust by the nabob Suraja Dowla on the night of June 20, 17656, and in which 123 of the prisoners died before morning from lack of air

black hole

[common] What data (a piece of email or netnews, or a stream of TCP/IP packets) has fallen into if it disappears mysteriously between its origin and destination sites (that is, without returning a bounce message). “I think there's a black hole at foovax!” conveys suspicion that site foovax has been dropping a lot of stuff on the floor lately (see drop on the floor). The implied metaphor of email as interstellar travel is interesting in itself. Readily verbed as blackhole: “That router is blackholing IDP packets.” Compare bit bucket and see RBL.