lights-out

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪts.aʊt/

• Audio (US):

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lights-out (uncountable)

1. The time at night at which artificial lights are to be turned off, a curfew or bedtime.
2. The prescribed bedtime for persons living in a boarding school or staying in a hospital.

   We were all expected to be in bed by lights-out.

3. (idiomatic, euphemistic) Something hopeless, over; unconsciousness. [(usually) with for and noun phrase]

   It's gonna be lights out for you, pal!

   • 1990 Feb, “Sparring in the Financial Markets”, in Black Enterprise‎^[1], volume 20, number 7, page 162:

     Hardy landed a picture perfect right uppercut square on Padilla's jaw. It was lights out for the formerly undefeated pugilist.

   • 2010, “A Memo from the devil”, in Catholic Bible 101‎^[2], archived from the original on 31 January 2010‎^[3]:

     Then, come November, the hunters are sitting there waiting for the unsuspecting gullible deer, and then it's lights out for the deer.

4. (idiomatic, sports) Decisive play. This term needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
   • 2017 July 17, Mike G. Morreale, “'Super Buddies' McLeod, Bastian look to make mark with Devils”, in NHL.com‎^[4]:

     No one could really stop him in the second half and he was lights-out in OHL playoffs.

lights-out (not comparable)

1. (manufacturing) Done in the dark because fully automated. Often describes night shift or third shift work.

   lights-out manufacturing;   lights-out production

   Their night shift is lights-out production. Their day shift handles tooling, setup, and staging to make sure that everything is ready for the next lights-out run.