brownout
noun
brown·out
| \ ˈbrau̇-ˌnau̇t
\
\
Definition of brownout
: a period of reduced voltage of electricity caused especially by high demand and resulting in reduced illumination
Examples of brownout in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Luckily, there was no talk of imminent blackouts or brownouts. — Randy Diamond, ExpressNews.com, "Heat wave sets all-time record for CPS Energy usage," 14 Aug. 2019 When peak demand surges—most common during heat waves like the ones that struck the region in 2006 and 2011—the older, less efficient generating stations have a harder time keeping up, and brownouts or blackouts become more likely. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "City Dwellers Ignore Infrastructure at Their Peril," 15 July 2019 Victorino said the fire had damaged the electricity grid, and Maui Electric was asking residents to conserve power Friday evening to prevent a possible power outage or brownout. — Phil Helsel, NBC News, "As crews battle Maui brush fire, second blaze breaks out," 13 July 2019 The county voluntarily closed the administrative building at 301 W. Jefferson St. and moved operations to a structure at 401 W. Jefferson to help APS prevent rolling brownouts in the area, according to a statement from the county treasurer's office. — Russ Wiles, azcentral, "Power likely restored by Wednesday night to most buildings hit by downtown Phoenix outage," 2 July 2019 Google has taken some steps to ensure that a similar network brownout doesn’t happen again. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "The Catch-22 That Broke the Internet," 7 June 2019 The advanced autopilot, which represents a significant evolution from from previous versions, also helps modulate hovers and landings, even easing descents into brownout or whiteout conditions when visibility drops to zero. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "Airbus' H160 Helicopter Helps Save Pilots from Their Own Mistakes," 31 May 2018 West Bloomfield's main library was closed after suffering a brownout on Friday evening. — John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Heat is here to stay through 4th of July holiday," 1 July 2018 Public services officials warned Cincinnati City Council Monday that having too few sanitation workers will lead to trash pick-up brownouts, meaning trash left at the curb in Cincinnati might not always be picked up on time. — Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Stinky Cincinnati summer ahead? The city might not pick up your trash on time," 19 June 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for brownout
brownout
noun
English Language Learners Definition of brownout
chiefly US
: a period when the amount of electricity in an area is reduced because there is not enough for everyone who needs it
See the full definition for brownout in the English Language Learners Dictionary