(chiefly, US) The notion that one drop of black blood (i.e., any African ancestry at all) makes a person black.
(chiefly, US) The notion that one drop of black blood (i.e., any African ancestry at all) makes a person black.
"one-drop rule" means: The notion that one drop of black blood (i.e., any African ancestry at all) makes a person black.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"one-drop rule" means: The notion that one drop of black blood (i.e., any African ancestry at all) makes a person black.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
"one-drop rule" means: The notion that one drop of black blood (i.e., any African ancestry at all) makes a person black.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
(chiefly, US) The notion that one drop of white blood (i.e. any white ancestry at all) makes a person white.
(slang) The ability to detect whether or not a person is of African ancestry by observing that person.
(US, sometimes, proscribed, sometimes, offensive) The fraction of a person's ancestors, out of their total ancestors, who are documented as full-blooded Native Americans.
(Australia, now, offensive) An Aboriginal person of unmixed ancestry.
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(US, Louisiana) An African American with light skin with red undertones.