Black out Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/ˈblæk ˈaʊt/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Noun or Verb

Definition

A sudden and complete loss of light, often caused by a failure of the electrical power supply, resulting in darkness.

Examples

• The power went out and the entire neighborhood was plunged into black out.
• During the storm, the black out lasted for several hours.

Synonyms

• Power failure
• Outage

Antonyms

• Illumination
• Lighting

Etymology

The word ‘black out’ originates from the practice of using a black cloth or filter to cover windows during World War II to prevent lights from shining through and attracting enemy bombers.

Usage Notes

When using the term ‘black out’, it’s essential to specify the context or cause of the loss of light, such as ‘the black out during the storm’ or ‘the black out caused by a power failure’.

Cultural References

Black out has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, and songs, often symbolizing chaos, uncertainty, or a sense of anxiety.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

• Love is blind, but black out is not
• Black out, white out, and everything in between

Related Words or Phrases

• Darkness
• Shadow
• Shade

Collocations

• Black out the lights
• Black out the TV
• Black out the window

Frequency of Use

In modern language, black out is used approximately 10 times more frequently than in the past, likely due to the growing reliance on electricity and other modern technologies.

Common Misspellings

• Blacked out
• Blackout
• Blak out