blackout
UK[ˈblækaʊt]US[ˈblækˌaʊt]
n
a period when all lights must be turned off or are hidden, especially during a war.
n
a temporary loss of consciousness, sight, or memory.
n
a suppression or prohibition of information, especially by censorship.
Morpheme Breakdown
black
out
black
dark
out
complete
Etymology
the compound 'blackout' is a modern english formation, combining the native germanic words 'black' and 'out'. its literal sense, a complete darkening or extinguishing of lights, emerged in the early 20th century, notably for wartime air-raid precautions. this concrete meaning was then extended metaphorically to describe similar states of absence or failure in other domains, such as a loss of consciousness (a darkening of the mind), a loss of memory (a darkening of recall), or a suppression of news (a darkening of information). the logic of the word hinges on the concept of 'black' representing negation or absence, amplified by 'out' to signify totality.
Analysis
Structure: black (dark) + out (complete)
'black' (old english 'blæc', meaning dark, inky) functions as the core adjective describing the quality of darkness or absence. 'out' (old english 'ūt', meaning external, away, forth) functions as an adverbial particle intensifying the sense to a state of complete absence or cessation.
Examples
during the air raid, the city observed a strict blackout.
he suffered a brief blackout after standing up too quickly.
the government imposed a media blackout during the political crisis.