blackouts

Noun

blackout (countable and uncountable, plural blackouts)

1. A temporary loss of consciousness.

   Synonyms:

   blankout, faint, syncope

2. A temporary loss of memory.
   • “I mean, what is she even talking about? Got her pregnant at the Halloween party? What does that mean? I don't even remember that party. I was wasted.” “Yeah, me too. I browned out that evening.” “"browned out"? What's "browned out"?” “Oh, it's when you drink so much that everything goes brown....2010 October 28, Charlie Day & Rob McElhenney, “Who Got Dee Pregnant?” (2:13 from the start), in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, season 6, episode 7

   Synonyms:

   blankout

3. A large-scale power failure, and resulting loss of electricity to consumers.
   • The repairs at the Koeberg Power Station in the Western Cape were on schedule for completion in the third week of May. This follows huge blackouts related to the problems at the power supplier since November.2006 May 13, Weekend Argus, page 5

   Synonyms:

   power cut, outage

4. An instance of censorship, especially a temporary one.
   • media blackout
5. (Internet) An intentional outage of a website or other online service, typically as a form of protest.
   • the 2012 English Wikipedia blackout
6. (historical) The mandatory blocking of all light emanating from buildings, as well as outdoor and street lighting as a measure against aerial bombing or naval attack, as imposed during, e.g., World War II.
   • In co-operation with the Government departments, the British railway companies prepared their stations, offices, docks, hotels, trains, and other premises for the necessary blackout of lighting that it was realised would be required in a state of emergency, and in the case of the experimental...1939 November, Charles E. Lee, “Railways and the War — I”, in Railway Magazine, page 317

See all 8 meanings of blackout