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Definition of brownout
: a period of reduced voltage of electricity caused especially by high demand and resulting in reduced illumination
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Recent Examples of brownout from the Web
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Less than two months into his presidency, in the midst of an energy crisis that produced rolling brownouts in California, Vice President Dick Cheney managed an end-around to reverse that pledge and formally abandon Kyoto.
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The safety forces proposed postponing recruit classes, which could mean slower response times and a return to fire department brownouts.
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Widespread blackouts and rolling brownouts in 2000 and 2001 did little to inspire confidence in this part of the country.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brownout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of brownout
brown + blackout
BROWNOUT Defined for English Language Learners
brownout
play
noun
Definition of brownout for English Language Learners
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: a period when the amount of electricity in an area is reduced because there is not enough for everyone who needs it
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