English

Noun

black belt ‎(plural black belts)

1. (martial arts) The highest belt colour in various martial arts.
2. (martial arts) Someone who has attained the black belt in martial arts.

   Raymond is a black belt in karate.

3. (figuratively, colloquial) Great skill in any field.
4. (management) A senior manager who is expert in one of various management systems such as Six Sigma or DMAIC and acts in a project leader or mentor role.
   • 2011, Bob Paladino, Five Key Principles of Corporate Performance Management, ISBN 1118044622:

     I had the good fortune of being engaged to participate as a trainer to GE Capital Corporation, where we helped to launch their now well-known and highly regarded black belt program.

5. (US, southern) A geographic region where the residents are predominantly or exclusively African-American.
   • 1992, Hanes Walton, The Native Son Presidential Candidate: The Carter Vote in Georgia, ISBN 0275941183, page 5:

     Bernard Cosman found that in Georgia, it was the black belt whites who gave Goldwater his largest percentage of the vote.