black hole

/ˌˈblæk ˌhoʊl/

/blæk həʊl/

Other forms: black holes

A black hole is an area of space in which gravity's pull is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light.

Astronomers believe that black holes are formed by dense stars that collapse from the force of their own gravity. Some black holes may also have developed soon after the Big Bang, or during high-energy collisions between objects in space. People sometimes talk about metaphorical black holes, places where things seem to disappear: maybe your dryer is a black hole for socks, for example.

Definitions of black hole

1. noun

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

   part, region

   the extended spatial location of something
2. noun

   (figurative) a place where people or objects disappear