1. A movie characterized by low-key lighting, a bleak urban setting, and corrupt, cynical characters.
2. The genre or style of such movies.

[French : film, film + noir, black.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.