Definition of "blackout" in English

noun

1. A temporary loss of consciousness.

   • I blacked out due to the intense heat.

2. A temporary loss of memory.

3. A large-scale power failure, and resulting loss of electricity to consumers.

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.

7. (attributive) The blocking out of as much light as possible.

   • blackout blinds; blackout curtains

8. (slang, criminology, rare) A mass murder committed, usually in an urban area, to eliminate potential witnesses of a previous crime.

verb

1. (nonstandard) Alternative form of black out.