blackening

Everyday

1. Becoming black or darker, or making something black or dark. tree →
2. Damaging someone's good name by saying bad things about them (blackening their name). tree →
3. (noun) The process or result of something going black, like burnt toast or rotting fruit. tree →

In the lessons

In science, soot and smoke blacken things; in stories, «the sky was blackening» means a storm is coming. In cooking, blackening is a way of cooking fish or meat with spices in a very hot pan (Cajun style). «Blackening his name» means spreading bad stories about someone.

Examples

• The sky was blackening before the storm. tree →
• The smoke is blackening the walls. tree →
• Bananas start blackening in the fridge. tree →
• He was accused of blackening his rival's name. tree →
• The chef was blackening the fish with spices. tree →
• Frost caused blackening of the plant's leaves. tree →

Note

Base verb: blacken (add -en). Related: blackened (adjective, as in blackened toast).