blackout
|black-out|
/ˈblækˌaʊt/
temporary loss or suppression
Etymology
'blackout' originates from the combination of 'black' and 'out', where 'black' meant 'dark' and 'out' indicated 'outside or external'.
'blackout' was first used in the early 20th century to describe the darkening of cities during air raids.
Initially, it meant 'to darken or obscure', but over time it evolved to include loss of consciousness and suppression of information.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a temporary loss of consciousness or vision.
He experienced a blackout after standing up too quickly.
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Noun 2
a period during a war when lights are turned off to prevent enemy aircraft from seeing a target.
During the war, the city enforced a strict blackout policy.
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Noun 3
a suppression of information, especially in the media.
The government imposed a media blackout on the incident.
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Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:41