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black-out

blackout, power outage

noun BLAK-owt Rare
Communication Media

Origin: English 'blackout', borrowed into French

Also means

media blackout

Usage Note

Black-out (always hyphenated in French) covers both an electrical power failure and a deliberate suppression of information: un black-out médiatique is a media blackout. The plural is des black-out (invariable). It is also used colloquially for a mental blank: j'ai eu un black-out total — I had a complete blank.

Examples

"Un black-out a plongé la ville dans le noir."

Natural Translation

A blackout plunged the city into darkness.

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