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black box

noun

any unit that forms part of an electronic circuit and that has its function, but not its components, specified.
any comparatively small, usually black, box containing a secret, mysterious, or complex mechanical or electronic device.
Aeronautics. an electronic device, such as a flight recorder, that can be removed from an aircraft as a single package.
Automotive. a device in an electronic ignition system that generates electrical pulses.

black box

a self-contained unit in an electronic or computer system whose circuitry need not be known to understand its function
an informal name for flight recorder

black box

A crash-resistant steel container that holds instruments that record performance data in airplanes. The data are used to analyze the causes of accidents.

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First recorded in 1940–45

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Examples have not been reviewed.

In the case of young drivers, she also backed using black box technology to provide a check to certain practices at the wheel.

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One building block of this approach is the famous concept of a black box, where you know the inputs and outputs, but not what’s going on inside.

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Authorities are examining the aircraft's black box data recorder to determine the cause of the crash.

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As for the private schools that students are moving to, advocates say they’re a black box.

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Merz is a black box, an untested leader who has never held a position in government.

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