Blackouts

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈblækaʊts/

Definitions

1. A complete loss of consciousness or memory, often temporary; an interruption of electrical power supply resulting in darkness; the state of being unable to perceive or communicate due to stress or emotional overload
2. The temporary suspension of awareness affecting one’s surroundings; a power outage that renders a location dark and unpowered; an emotional or psychological episode that leads to a disconnect from reality
3. A sudden lapse in memory or awareness often due to fatigue; a failure in the electrical grid causing lights to turn off; an overwhelming emotional response that prevents rational thought or communication

Etymology: "Blackouts" is the plural of "blackout", which is a noun formed from the phrasal verb "black out". The verb came first: to black out means to make something dark, or to put out lights, and the noun grew from that action. So the word began as a description of something done to light, a room or a city, before it came to describe a condition of the mind or body. The electrical sense follows the same pattern. A blackout is an interruption of power that leaves a place in darkness, and the wider senses of losing consciousness or memory, or going temporarily unable to perceive, extend that image of light switching off to a person. Both the power cut and the faint share the picture of a sudden, total dimming.

Synonyms: power outages, failures, interruptions, cuts, loss

Antonyms: restoration, recovery, continuity, stability