black and white

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See also: black-and-white

English

Etymology

The police car sense reflects a traditional livery scheme for such cars.

Pronunciation

Noun

black and white (plural black and whites)

  1. (US, slang, law enforcement) A police patrol car.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:police vehicle
    • 2006, Joseph Wambaugh, Hollywood Station , New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 237:
      he news bunny ran up to him, saying, "Officer, did you have trouble catching up with Batman? Was it an exciting chase?" The surfer cop struck a semi-heroic pose for the camera and said, "Weak sauce." Then he quickly walked Batman to the black-and-white, where he was put into the backseat.
  2. (US, slang, by extension) The police, a police officer or the clothing they wear.
    • 1992, “A Nigga Witta Gun”, in The Chronic, performed by Dr. Dre, Death Row Records:
      Them punk motherfuckers in black and white ain't the only motherfuckers I gots to fight.
  3. A type of giant cookie (about 8 inches diameter) with icing on the top side: half white, half dark chocolate.
    Synonym: half-moon

Translations

Adjective

black and white (comparative more black and white, superlative most black and white)

  1. Alternative form of black-and-white (of an image, a video, etc: in black, white, and perhaps shades of grey, rather than in colour)
    • 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      The second segment is one of the most audacious and ambitious in “Treehouse Of Horror” history, and not just because it’s in black and white. It’s a parody of King Kong that works spectacularly well because Homer isn’t just ape-like and simian on the inside: he’s ape-like and simian on the outside as well, so it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine the rage-filled man-child as a giant ape with serious anger-control issues.
  2. (figuratively, idiomatic) Easily divided into diametrically opposing camps or schools of thought.

Translations

See also

(divisive dichotomization):