Blackball

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈblækbɔːl/

Definitions

1. To vote negatively and privately against a candidate, thereby preventing their acceptance into a group or organization, leads to social or professional exclusion for that individual
2. To secretly deny approval of a candidate through a private vote ; to exclude someone from social or professional circles as a result
3. To cast a concealed negative vote barring someone from membership ; to ostracize an individual from a group or community

Etymology: Secret ballots in clubs and societies once used small balls dropped into a box: a white ball expressed approval and a black one expressed rejection. A single black ball was enough to keep a candidate out, so members who objected could exclude someone without ever explaining themselves. The practice of voting with balls this way is old, but the specific sense of rejecting someone by casting a black ball is what gave the verb its meaning. The verb is a straightforward compound of "black" and "ball," with the two words joined to describe the physical act of casting the dark ball into the box. Its meaning then widened from the voting chamber to any deliberate exclusion from a social or professional group, carrying the secrecy of the original ballot along with it.

Synonyms: exclude, ban, reject