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Glite Dictionary
bootblack

bootblack

2 8.5
A person who shines shoes and boots for money
  • noun
  • /ˈbuːtˌblæk/
  • Archaic
: lustrador
  • He made a living as a bootblack, working at a busy downtown corner.

Examples

  • The voice belonged to a colored bootblack in neatly pressed pants and a vest.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Dick's a professional bootblack.

    Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)

  • I broke in as a bootblack, you know?

    Bamboozled (2000)

  • I asked him where in the harbor I might find a good bootblack.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The bootblacks are on strike.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Mario calls over the other bootblacks to spread the word.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He took no more notice of the man who carried out the whims of his lowest self than he would have of the bootblack who shined his shoes.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • EXT. CITY HALL SHOESHINE STAND NIGHT. JACK, wearing his messenger's uniform, confers with MARIO, a bootblack.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • At the park, I saw a skilled bootblack polishing shoes for customers.

  • After the meeting, I stopped by the station to hire a bootblack for a quick shine.

Synonyms

bootboy
vsbootblack
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A young person who cleans and cares for boots in a house or the army

is for paid polishers across general settings, not limited to private or military work
shoeblack
vsbootblack
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who cleans and shines shoes on street corners

is not limited to public places and works across other settings
shoeboy
vsbootblack
  • Archaic
9.9

A boy who shines or cleans shoes, often in the past

is for paid workers of any age rather than specifically young or historical

Surface Forms

bootblack singular
bootblacks plural

Morphology

bootblack = boot + black (transparent) = boot + black

The compound literally denotes someone who 'blacks' (polishes) boots, so knowing 'boot' and 'black' (verb) yields the meaning.

Etymology

Bootblack is a simple compound of boot ('shoe') and black ('to make black' or 'to shine'), and it first meant a person who 'blacks' or polishes boots. So a bootblack is someone who shines shoes for money.