bootblack

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bootblack

Where it comes from

From boot + black.

noun bootblacks · boot-black

dated A shoeshine boy; a person who shines shoes as an occupation. 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.
Similar: shoeblack, shoeshiner

verb bootblacks · bootblacking · bootblacked · boot-black

transitive To shine shoes.

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MLA

"bootblack." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bootblack. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

bootblack. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bootblack

Chicago

"bootblack." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bootblack.

BibTeX

@misc{bootblack_2026,
  title = {bootblack},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bootblack},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}