| n. | 1. | any electronic instrument or part of an instrument whose function is defined, but which is treated as a unit without consideration of the internal mechanisms; broadly, any device whose internal workings are considered as incomprehensible or mysterious by the user; |
| 2. | (aviation) a device which maintains a record of cockpit conversations and the readings of many of the instruments on board an aircraft, continuously or at frequent time intervals during a flight. It is of rugged design to withstand a violent crash, and is used to determine the causes of aircraft accidents. |
| Noun | 1. | black box - equipment that records information about the performance of an aircraft during flight |
| (jargon) | black box - An abstraction of a device or system in which only
its externally visible behaviour is considered and not its
implementation or "inner workings". See also functional testing. |