[yellsatclouds]

> A hole is not something, it is a cavity in something else

this reasoning also applies to "infinity". it literally means NOT-finite. it refers to the lack of a thing: namely a biggest number.

then again, freaking language and maths sure make us able to think about these 'lack of [blank]' as if they were actual things (to the point that abstractly they are as real as it gets)

[Maursault]

> this reasoning also applies to "infinity"

"Infinity" applies to the reasoning of what a hole is, but not to what a black hole is. A black hole is not not something. It is something, yet a hole is not something. Unlike a hole, a black hole is defined by its inherent characteristics, mass, spin and electric charge. A hole can only be defined by characteristics of what it is not, the empty volume of missing substrate.

[yellsatclouds]

agreed 100%. a black hole is a physical object unlike infinity. thanks for not letting me get away with being 'sublty wrong'.

my larger point was about how language 'creates' such real abstractions; sometimes with terrible names (your original complaint).

[Maursault]

You are right about language, with contronyms and oxymorons. Especially in nomenclature, many things are named incorrectly or have contradictory names, such as Koala Bear, Whale Shark, Killer Whale, Starfish, Prairie Dog, King Cobra, Red Panda, Guinea Pig, Bearcat, Flying Lemur, Flying Squirrels, etc. Also, asteroid, which are not at all particularly "star like."