brownout
noun
brownout is spelled B-R-O-W-N-O-U-T: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 124,184th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, brownout means “A period of low alternating current line voltage, causing a reduction in illumination” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of brownout is brownouts.
How many letters and syllables are in brownout?
| Letters | 8: B-R-O-W-N-O-U-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 17 million words; the 124,184th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is brownout?
Brownout appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 124,184th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce brownout?
Brownout has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of brownout
- brownouts plural
- brown out
- brown-out
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does brownout mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A period of low alternating current line voltage, causing a reduction in illumination.
When demand for electricity exceeds the available supply, a brownout occurs.
- 2
A temporary dimming of vision, usually with a brown hue and accompanied by loss of peripheral vision or tunnel vision.
On rising suddenly from her chair she experienced a brownout and had to sit down again quickly.
- 3
A temporary closing of a fire station, usually due to budget restrictions.
Fire departments across the country have been forced to rely on rolling brownouts because of the recession.
- 4
A power outage during the day; distinguished from a blackout, which occurs at night.
- 5
A moment or period where something is weakened, diminished or less effective.
- 6
AustraliaA blackout, regardless of time of day.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Brownout in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a period of low alternating current line voltage:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | baja de voltaje |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does brownout come from?
A deverbal from brown out, by analogy with blackout.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).