brown-outn.
/ˈbraʊnaʊt/, U.S. /ˈbraʊnˌaʊt/, Australian English /ˈbræɔnæɔt/ Chiefly Australian and North American.
A partial black-out. Also transferred and figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > darkness or absence of light > [noun] > making or becoming dark > darkened condition > partial
brown-out1942
1942 in Amer. Speech (1945) 20 143/1 Brown-out..used in Australia to denote semidarkening a city as distinguished from the complete darkening of a blackout.
1943 Amer. Speech (1944) 19 149/1 The suggested conservation measures for electricity involve a national brownout, the extinguishing of all ornamental and display lighting and signs after 10 p.m.
1950 N.Y. Herald 18 Feb. New York Brownout is Ordered as Coal Dwindles.
1955 Times 4 May 10/4 The new ‘brown-out’ on information in Washington.
1969 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 6 Dec. 23/1 Premier Bennett..was asked why the government found it necessary to route the transmission [line] through the park. He said:..‘It is to prevent brown outs.’
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1942