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brownout
[broun-out]
noun
the elimination of some or reduction of all electric lights of a city, especially as a precaution against attack in time of war.
any curtailment of electric power, as by a severe storm.
brownout
/ ˈʊˌʊ /
noun
a dimming or reduction in the use of electric lights in a city, esp to conserve electric power or as a defensive precaution in wartime
a temporary reduction in electrical power Compare blackout
a temporary slowing down of the workings of the internet caused when too many users attempt to access it at the same time
brownout
A situation in which the voltage in a power grid is reduced below its normal level but not entirely eliminated. (Compare blackout.)
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
It’s helped that Southern California Edison’s lines are mostly underground and that the port, deemed a vital infrastructure, is exempt from brownouts, an outage resulting from a temporary drop in voltage.
“If you look at California, it’s got brownouts and blackouts every single day,” he claimed in a campaign video last year.
Claim: California’s clean energy policies are causing brownouts and grid issues.
Critics say wind farm projects are expensive, damage the environment and make the electrical grid less stable and more prone to brownout and blackouts.
That same year, a drought brought “brownouts” from starved hydroelectric plants.
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When To Use
A brownout is like a blackout, just not as bad.Where an electrical blackout means a loss of electricity, a brownout is a reduction in power. In a brownout, electric devices might still work, but be dimmer, slower, or generally less powerful.If someone blacks out drunk, they can't remember what they did. If someone browns out they have some memories, but only hazy or patchy ones.
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