Nearby Words
noun
1.
the extinguishing or concealment of all visible lights in a city, military post, etc., usually as a precaution against air raids.
2.
a period during a massive power failure when the lack of electricity for illumination results in utter darkness except from emergency sources, as candles.
3.
Theater.
a.
the extinguishing of all stage lights, as in closing a vaudeville skit or separating the scenes of a play.
b.
Also called blackout skit. a skit ending in a blackout.
4.
Pathology.
a.
temporary loss of consciousness or vision: She suffered a blackout from the blow on the head.
b.
a period of total memory loss, as one induced by an accident or prolonged alcoholic drinking: The patient cannot account for the bizarre things he did during his blackout.
5.
EXPANDa brief, passing lapse of memory: An actor may have an occasional blackout and forget a line or two.
6.
complete stoppage of a communications medium, as by a strike, catastrophe, electrical storm, etc.: a newspaper blackout; a radio blackout.
7.
a stoppage, suppression, or obliteration: a news blackout.
8.
a period during which a special sales offer, fare rate, or other bargain is not available: The airline's discount on fares does not apply during the Christmas week blackout.
9.
COLLAPSERadio and Television. a prohibition that is imposed on the broadcasting of an event and has the purpose of encouraging or ensuring ticket sales.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Blackout
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
blackout
1913 in the theatrical sense of a darkened stage, from black + out. Figurative sense of "loss of memory" is 1934; as a dousing of lights as an air raid precaution, it is recorded from 1935.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
blackout black·out (blāk'out')
n.
Temporary loss of consciousness due to decreased blood flow to the brain.
Temporary loss of memory.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
blackout definition
The complete loss of electrical power in a particular area. Blackouts can result from a natural disaster, a manmade catastrophe, or simply from an excess of energy demand over supply. (Compare brownout.)
Note: Rolling blackouts to match supply and demand have become increasingly common in the United States.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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