black box vs plan

black box

noun
  • A theoretical construct or device with known input and output characteristics but unknown method of operation. 

  • A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident. 

  • A device used in phreaking that prevents the calling party from being billed for the call placed. 

  • A type of theater characterized by a lack of decoration or complex mechanisms. 

  • Any similar device on motor vehicles, such as rail event recorders and ship trip recorders. 

verb
  • To focus on the inputs and outputs without worrying about the internal complexity. 

plan

noun
  • A method; a way of procedure; a custom. 

  • A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc. 

  • A subscription to a service. 

  • A set of intended actions, usually mutually related, through which one expects to achieve a goal. 

  • A two-dimensional drawing of a building as seen from above with obscuring or irrelevant details such as roof removed, or of a floor of a building, revealing the internal layout; as distinct from the elevation. 

verb
  • To create a plan for. 

  • To intend. 

  • To design (a building, machine, etc.). 

  • To make a plan. 

How often have the words black box and plan occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )