Blackout usually means a power failure--one that affects a neighborhood or a large area, and not just a single home. When the power fails in our home, we say the electricity is out, or the lights are out.
During the Second World War, a blackout meant that no one was supposed to let any lights show, in case enemy planes were looking for a target to bomb. People used blackout curtains to make sure that household lights could not be seen from the outside, and air raid wardens walked around checking for any light that was still visible.
Now a blackout also means a sporting event that is not being televised, because all of the tickets have not been sold. The game will not be broadcast in the city where it is being played, to encourage people who want to see it to go to the stadium and buy a ticket.
Blackout also means to lose one's memory during a drinking binge.
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