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Definition of black dahlia
black dahlia
Plural:black dahlias
• noun
1
American The nickname given by the press to Elizabeth Short, the victim of a notorious and highly publicized unsolved 1947 murder in Los Angeles, California.
Example
"The gruesome murder of the Black Dahlia remains one of the most famous unsolved crimes in American history."
2
A darkly colored cultivar of the dahlia flower, typically featuring very deep burgundy, maroon, or dark purple petals that appear nearly black.
Example
"The gardener proudly displayed a stunning black dahlia at the center of the floral arrangement."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for black dahlia• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Black dahlia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/black%20dahlia