I. |au̇t, usu |au̇d.+V adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ūt; akin to Old High German ūz out, Old Norse & Gothic ūt out, Latin us que continually, Greek hy bris wantonness, arrogance, insolence, hys teros latter, Sanskrit ud, ut up, out; basic meaning: up, out
1.
a. : in a direction away from a particular point or place
started out from home
looked out across the valley
b. : away from one's own country or part of the world : abroad
went out for a short visit and stayed for five years
was sent out as ambassador at a critical time
c. : away from a particular place, region, or country
said the current storm … would move out by tonight — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News
left the river with their captives and struck out overland — I.B.Richman
d. : away from one's own control or possession
lent out his money on mortgages
gave out the manuscript to be typed
e. : away from one's usual place of residence, practice, or business
dines out once a week
goes out every evening
out to lunch
f. : in a direction away from the shore
the tide is going out
they rowed out to the ship
g. : away from a job or task
took time out for a cigarette
2.
a.
(1) : out of the usual or proper place or position
threw his shoulder out
laughing his sides out
the time has been that, when the brains were out , the man would die — Shakespeare
(2) : out of the necessary or expected place or position
left out two lines
left out the most important part of his argument
b. : away from or contrary to one's normal or usual state of mind or manner of behavior
greatly put out by the bad news
the two friends fell out over a trivial matter
c. : beyond the usual or proper limits
the edge of the house juts out over the cliff
the point of the nail sticks out
his shirttails hang out
d. : so as to protrude or stick out
out at elbows
out at the knees
e. : at odds
he is out with his friend over a girl
f. : out of pocket
by the end of the evening, he was $20 out
g. : not in accord with the facts
this story is ludicrously out in its geography — B.R.Elliott
the introductory note … by an error in arithmetic, is out by twenty years — Times Literary Supplement
h. : not in agreement
the trial balance was out $10
3.
a.
(1) : in or into the open : out of an enclosed space (as a building or container)
he went out about an hour ago
the whole town turned out to greet him
he took out his wallet
she poured out the tea
(2) : out of a place or position tenaciously held to
drag him out
smoke him out
crowd him out
(3) : out of a situation or place felt to be confining or unendurable
tried to break out
changed his mind afterward and asked to be let out
b. : into activity, use, or accessibility
war broke out
opened out a new route to the West
the new models are coming out next week
c. : externally
cleaned the house inside and out
d. : in the open : outdoors
it was nice out … with the sky all so blue — J.T.Farrell
it's a lovely day out — James Jones
camp out
e.
(1) : in or into active military service or training
the army was ordered out — Marjory S. Douglas
has been out on maneuvers
(2) : on a journey or expedition
has been out fishing for a week
has been out on a business trip
(3) : in or into active rebellion
he was a bitter rebel, and boasted that his grandfather had been out in '98 — G.B.Shaw
(4) : not at work : on strike
ten thousand or more workers are out — Warner Bloomberg
f. : on the exterior or outer side
insulated the roof to keep the heat out
closed the windows to keep the rain out
g. : to or toward the outside
turned his pockets inside out
went to the window and looked out
h. : out of jail or prison
he's only been out a week, but he's already in trouble
i. : not on the shelf : in circulation
the book you want is out
4.
a. : at or to a distance away from a given point
the nearest school is three miles out
hit the ball 400 feet out
b. : at or to a distance away from land : at sea
when they were three days out , the weather turned fine
an island far out in the ocean
c. : at a relatively far distance
motioned to the shortstop to play out
d. : around the circuit of the first nine holes of a golf course
he went out in 39
5.
a. : from or among a group
sorting operations have selected out certain cards — R.S.Casey & J.W.Perry
b. : into sections or parts
portioned out the meat among the five of them
laid out the day's work for his two assistants
6.
a. : freely , openly
was too frightened to speak out
b. : so as to be audible : aloud
cried out to attract his friend's attention
called out a greeting
c. : in or into print or public circulation
the evening paper isn't out yet
there's a warrant out against him
d. : in or into open view
the moon is out tonight
the sun came out from behind the clouds
e. : in or into leaf, blossom, or fruit
the roses are just out
the apples are starting to come out
f. : in or into society
wear the same clothes and makeup as girls who are already out and go to grown-up parties — Helen Eustis
g. : in an unfurled or extended state
broke out the topsail
7.
a. : to a point of exhaustion or depletion
talked herself out
cried herself out
pumped the well out
the cow is milked out
b. : to a point of completion or satisfaction
might as well have your sleep out — Ellen Glasgow
deeply satisfied, the way you feel when you have had a chance to say your say all out — Dorothy C. Fisher
fight it out on this line if it takes all summer — U.S.Grant
c. : in or into a state of extinction, inactivity, or nonexistence
the fire is out
put out the light
a custom that is going out
a species that is on its way out
d. : to a solution or result
work out the problem in your own way
the addition comes out wrong each time
e. : to a conclusion (as to adulthood or to a predetermined size or weight)
grow out livestock
8.
a. : at an end
before the year is out
now that the summer is out
b. : in or into an insensible or unconscious state
the glassy eyes and vague expression of a man who was … out on his feet — S.H.Adams
after three drinks he was out cold
c. : out of commission : in or into a useless state
only the one plane coming in — actually half a plane — with two of its engines out — Saul Levitt
d.
(1) : so as to retire a batter or batsman or so as to be retired
put him out on three straight pitches
bowled him out
popped out to the infield
(2) : out of participation in a poker pot
count me out
deal me out
(3) : at the winning point of a game (as by having reached or passed the required goal or number of points)
e. : at a stop
the referee called time out
f. — used on a two way radio circuit to indicate the end of a communication with no reply expected
over and out
9.
a. : in an extended manner or to an extended degree
the dog was stretched out on the floor
the last act was terribly drawn out
b. : to the fullest possible extent
decked out in her best clothes
clean out the attic
wipe out the stain
c. : in or into competition or determined effort
out for class president
intends to go out for the football team next year
out to win control of the whole industry
10.
a. : out of office or power
voted out at the next election
turned out by the new commissioner
b. : out of season : no longer in supply
fresh strawberries are out now until next spring
c. : out of vogue or fashion : no longer in request
short skirts are out
d. : out of the question : so as to be eliminated from consideration
these last two proposals seem definitely out — Tom Fitzsimmons
11. — used as an intensive with numerous verbs
bait out the fish lines
sketch out the plans
write out the speech
II. ˈau̇t, usu ˈau̇d.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English outen, from Old English ūtian, from ūt, adverb
transitive verb
1. : to put out : eject from a place, office, or possession : expel
privately kept outed vicars as chaplains — Rose Macaulay
2. archaic : to make public : disclose , reveal
3. : extinguish
the lamplighter went his rounds outing the street lamps — John Bennett
4. : to thrust out : extend
they outed oars and pulled hard — Christopher Morley
5. slang Britain : knock out : render unconscious or kill
6.
a. : to put (a batsman) out in cricket
b. : to eliminate in a sports competition
was outed in a semifinal of the Australian championships — A.B.C.Weekly
7. : to hit (a ball) out of bounds in tennis or squash
intransitive verb
1. : to become known or apparent : become public
truth will out
murder will out
bad blood always outs — Alec Waugh
2. : to go out ; especially : go on an outing or excursion
3. : to hit a tennis ball out of bounds
the Australian outed and lost the game — Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald
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- out with
III. |au̇t, usu |au̇d.+V adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from out, adverb
1. : situated or lying on the outside of something : external
the out edge
2. : situated or lying at a distance from a center : outlying
the out islands
the out parts of the settlement
3.
a. : not in power : having no official position or standing
encourage pirating by out unions trying to get in — C.O.Gregory
b. : not having its inning
the out side in cricket
c. : not successful in reaching base
the batter was out at first on a close play
was out trying to steal third
4. : larger than usual
a dress of an out size
5. : directed outward or serving to direct something outward : outgoing
the out train
put the letter in the out basket
IV. (|)au̇t, usu (|)au̇d.+V preposition
Etymology: Middle English, from out, adverb
1.
a. — used as a function word to indicate direction from the inside to the outside
peering out his window at the river — Hugh MacLennan
b. — used as a function word to indicate movement or change of position from the inside to the outside
threw his street clothes and luggage out a window onto the platform — Joseph Wechsberg
put the cat out the door
2. — used as a function word to indicate movement or direction away from a center
drove through the streets of town and out the dark, wooded road to his house — Nathaniel Benchley
lives out Elm Street
— see out of
V. ˈau̇t, usu ˈau̇d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: out (I) & out (III)
1. : outside
liking not the inside, locked the out — Lord Byron
the width of the building from out to out
2. : outing
3.
a. : one who is without official position or influence : a member of a party or group that is out of power — usually used in plural
the outs are invariably more emphatic in their advocacy of principles than the ins — C.J.Friedrich
b. out plural : the players in a game (as cricket) who are not having their innings
4. : copy matter (as a word) inadvertently omitted in typesetting
5. : showing
makes a poor out of it when the hub of the house comes down — H.E.Giles
6.
a. : the retiring of a baseball player during his turn at bat
it was the last out of the game
b. : a player so retired
he was an easy out
7. outs plural , Britain : money paid out especially in taxes
8. : an objectionable feature or circumstance : blemish
despite all the improvement, rubber still has a number of bad outs — Williams Haynes & E.A.Hauser
9. : a ball hit out of bounds in tennis or squash
10. : an item that is out of stock
the packing list is noted for changes in quantities and outs — D.F.Sellards
11.
a. : a way of avoiding responsibility or escaping from an embarrassing situation : a face-saving device
a discreet retirement may provide the easy out — Douglass Cater
can sometimes serve as an easy out in cases that might prove to be politically embarrassing — S.K.Padover
b. : a way out of a difficulty : solution
believe the only out for the party is to continue the present system of high, rigid supports on basic farm commodities — W.M.Blair
a possible out for big ships would be their use for mass transportation of tourists — Newsweek
•
- at outs
VI. transitive verb
: to identify publicly as being such secretly
wanted to out pot smokers
especially : to identify as being a closet homosexual
VII. adjective
1. : not being in vogue or fashion : not in
2. : publicly known or identified as a homosexual