See dark horse in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for dark horse meaning in English (10.3kB)
{
"etymology_text": "Originally an allusion to an unknown horse with a dark coat winning a race, as used in the 1831 novel The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dark horses",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dark horse (plural dark horses)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 29 26 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English allusions",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "31 31 29 10",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1952, Daphne Du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree",
"text": "‘She’s a dark horse,’ he said. ‘She knows just as much about climbing mountains as you or I. In fact, she was ahead of me the whole time, and I lost her.’",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Steve Augarde, Celandine, London: Corgi Books, published 2006, page 13",
"text": "As she pulled the door closed behind her, she heard the nurse say, “Well! You’re a dark horse, I must say! Do you know that extraordinary-looking girl?”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Sophie Kinsella, Twenties Girl: A Novel, London: Black Swan, published 2010, page 183",
"text": "“Well!” Genevieve laughs – the kind of bright, trilling laugh you give when you’re really quite annoyed about something. “Ed, you are a dark horse! I had no idea you had a girlfriend!”",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others."
],
"id": "en-dark_horse-en-noun-TTrBbgnV",
"links": [
[
"talent",
"talent"
],
[
"favorable",
"favorable"
],
[
"characteristic",
"characteristic"
],
[
"known",
"known"
],
[
"expected",
"expected"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "be",
"lang": "Belarusian",
"roman": "cjómny kónik",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "цёмны конік"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "黑馬"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "hēimǎ",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "黑马"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "černý kůň"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "musta hevonen"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "siganó potámi",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "σιγανό ποτάμι"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "chipā rustam",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "छिपा रुस्तम"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "kālā cor",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "काला चोर"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "sötét ló"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "is",
"english": "to be a dark horse",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "leyna á sér"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "acqua cheta"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "cicha woda"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "czarny koń"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "tjómnaja lošádka",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "тёмная лоша́дка"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "čierny kôň"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "hsb",
"lang": "Upper Sorbian",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "čorny kóń"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "máa-mʉ̂ʉt",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "ม้ามืด"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 10 8 0",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "temna konjačka",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "темна конячка"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Politics",
"orig": "en:Politics",
"parents": [
"Society",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "31 29 26 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English allusions",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "31 31 29 10",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "24 48 12 16",
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "People",
"orig": "en:People",
"parents": [
"Human",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice."
],
"id": "en-dark_horse-en-noun-KD-mNf~P",
"links": [
[
"politics",
"politics"
],
[
"candidate",
"candidate"
],
[
"election",
"election"
],
[
"nominate",
"nominate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, politics) A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"topics": [
"government",
"politics"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "黑馬"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "hēimǎ",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "黑马"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "et",
"lang": "Estonian",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "üllatuskandidaat"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "musta hevonen"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "outsider"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "outsider"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"alt": "あなうま",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "anauma",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "穴馬"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"alt": "わくせい",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "wakusei",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "惑星"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "czarny koń"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "tjómnaja lošádka",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "тёмная лоша́дка"
},
{
"_dis1": "12 73 11 4",
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "máa-mʉ̂ʉt",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "ม้ามืด"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "lifeform",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Horse racing",
"orig": "en:Horse racing",
"parents": [
"Equestrianism",
"Horses",
"Sports",
"Equids",
"Livestock",
"Human activity",
"Odd-toed ungulates",
"Agriculture",
"Animals",
"Human behaviour",
"Mammals",
"Applied sciences",
"Lifeforms",
"Human",
"Vertebrates",
"Sciences",
"All topics",
"Life",
"Chordates",
"Fundamental",
"Nature"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "31 29 26 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English allusions",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "31 31 29 10",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "20 21 47 12",
"kind": "lifeform",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Horses",
"orig": "en:Horses",
"parents": [
"Equids",
"Livestock",
"Odd-toed ungulates",
"Agriculture",
"Animals",
"Mammals",
"Applied sciences",
"Lifeforms",
"Vertebrates",
"Sciences",
"All topics",
"Life",
"Chordates",
"Fundamental",
"Nature"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A horse whose capabilities are not known."
],
"id": "en-dark_horse-en-noun-tE91z1kG",
"links": [
[
"horse racing",
"horse racing"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(horse racing) A horse whose capabilities are not known."
],
"topics": [
"hobbies",
"horse-racing",
"horseracing",
"horses",
"lifestyle",
"pets",
"racing",
"sports"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 29 26 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English allusions",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 39 61",
"word": "darkhorse"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dark, horse."
],
"id": "en-dark_horse-en-noun-MOURrO4Q",
"links": [
[
"dark",
"dark#English"
],
[
"horse",
"horse#English"
]
],
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 39 61",
"word": "underdog"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 39 61",
"word": "black sheep"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 39 61",
"word": "black horse"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-dark horse.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f9/En-au-dark_horse.ogg/En-au-dark_horse.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/En-au-dark_horse.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Benjamin Disraeli"
],
"word": "dark horse"
}
{
"categories": [
"English allusions",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English terms with audio links",
"Requests for review of Hindi translations",
"Requests for review of Japanese translations",
"Requests for review of Kannada translations",
"Requests for review of Korean translations",
"Requests for review of Swedish translations",
"en:Horses",
"en:People"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "darkhorse"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Originally an allusion to an unknown horse with a dark coat winning a race, as used in the 1831 novel The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dark horses",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dark horse (plural dark horses)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "underdog"
},
{
"word": "black sheep"
},
{
"word": "black horse"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1952, Daphne Du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree",
"text": "‘She’s a dark horse,’ he said. ‘She knows just as much about climbing mountains as you or I. In fact, she was ahead of me the whole time, and I lost her.’",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Steve Augarde, Celandine, London: Corgi Books, published 2006, page 13",
"text": "As she pulled the door closed behind her, she heard the nurse say, “Well! You’re a dark horse, I must say! Do you know that extraordinary-looking girl?”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Sophie Kinsella, Twenties Girl: A Novel, London: Black Swan, published 2010, page 183",
"text": "“Well!” Genevieve laughs – the kind of bright, trilling laugh you give when you’re really quite annoyed about something. “Ed, you are a dark horse! I had no idea you had a girlfriend!”",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others."
],
"links": [
[
"talent",
"talent"
],
[
"favorable",
"favorable"
],
[
"characteristic",
"characteristic"
],
[
"known",
"known"
],
[
"expected",
"expected"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"en:Politics"
],
"glosses": [
"A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice."
],
"links": [
[
"politics",
"politics"
],
[
"candidate",
"candidate"
],
[
"election",
"election"
],
[
"nominate",
"nominate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, politics) A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"topics": [
"government",
"politics"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"en:Horse racing"
],
"glosses": [
"A horse whose capabilities are not known."
],
"links": [
[
"horse racing",
"horse racing"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(horse racing) A horse whose capabilities are not known."
],
"topics": [
"hobbies",
"horse-racing",
"horseracing",
"horses",
"lifestyle",
"pets",
"racing",
"sports"
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dark, horse."
],
"links": [
[
"dark",
"dark#English"
],
[
"horse",
"horse#English"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-dark horse.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f9/En-au-dark_horse.ogg/En-au-dark_horse.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/En-au-dark_horse.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "be",
"lang": "Belarusian",
"roman": "cjómny kónik",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "цёмны конік"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "黑馬"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "hēimǎ",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "黑马"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "černý kůň"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "musta hevonen"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "siganó potámi",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "σιγανό ποτάμι"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "chipā rustam",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "छिपा रुस्तम"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "kālā cor",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "काला चोर"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "sötét ló"
},
{
"code": "is",
"english": "to be a dark horse",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "leyna á sér"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "acqua cheta"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "cicha woda"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "czarny koń"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "tjómnaja lošádka",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "тёмная лоша́дка"
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "čierny kôň"
},
{
"code": "hsb",
"lang": "Upper Sorbian",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "čorny kóń"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "máa-mʉ̂ʉt",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "ม้ามืด"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "temna konjačka",
"sense": "possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics",
"word": "темна конячка"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "黑馬"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "hēimǎ",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "黑马"
},
{
"code": "et",
"lang": "Estonian",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "üllatuskandidaat"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "musta hevonen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "outsider"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "outsider"
},
{
"alt": "あなうま",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "anauma",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "穴馬"
},
{
"alt": "わくせい",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "wakusei",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "惑星"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "czarny koń"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "tjómnaja lošádka",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "тёмная лоша́дка"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "máa-mʉ̂ʉt",
"sense": "unexpectedly nominated candidate",
"word": "ม้ามืด"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Benjamin Disraeli"
],
"word": "dark horse"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.