Part 29

A dark horse, in racing or politics, a horse or a candidate whose chances of success are not known, and whose capabilities have not been made the subject of general comment or of wagers. [Colloq.] -- Dark house, Dark room, a house or room in which madmen were confined. [Obs.] Shak. -- Dark lantern. See Lantern. -- The Dark Ages, a period of stagnation and obscurity in literature and art, lasting, according to Hallam, nearly 1000 years, from about 500 to about 1500 A. D.. See Middle Ages, under Middle. -- The Dark and Bloody Ground, a phrase applied to the State of Kentucky, and said to be the significance of its name, in allusion to the frequent wars that were waged there between Indians. -- The dark day, a day (May 19, 1780) when a remarkable and unexplained darkness extended over all New England. -- To keep dark, to reveal nothing.

Dark (?), n. 1. Absence of light; darkness; obscurity; a place where there is little or no light.

Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out.

Shak.

2. The condition of ignorance; gloom; secrecy.

Look, what you do, you do it still i' th' dark.

Shak.

Till we perceive by our own understandings, we are as much in the dark, and as void of knowledge, as before.

Locke.

3. (Fine Arts) A dark shade or dark passage in a painting, engraving, or the like; as, the light and darks are well contrasted.

The lights may serve for a repose to the darks, and the darks to the lights.

Dryden.

Dark, v. t. To darken; to obscure. [Obs.] Milton.

Dark"en (därk"'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Darkened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Darkening (-n*ng).] [AS. deorcian. See Dark, a.] 1. To make dark or black; to deprive of light; to obscure; as, a darkened room.

They [locusts] covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened.

Ex. x. 15.

So spake the Sovran Voice; and clouds began To darken all the hill.

Milton.

2. To render dim; to deprive of vision.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.

Rom. xi. 10.

3. To cloud, obscure, or perplex; to render less clear or intelligible.

Such was his wisdom that his confidence did seldom darkenhis foresight.

Bacon.

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

Job. xxxviii. 2.

4. To cast a gloom upon.

With these forced thoughts, I prithee, darken not The mirth of the feast.