■ adverb
1》 moving away from a place, especially from one that is enclosed to one that is open.
↘~doors.
↘no longer in prison.
2》 situated far or at a particular distance from somewhere: a farm ~ in the middle of nowhere.
↘to sea, away from the land.
↘(of the tide) falling or at its lowest level.
↘at a specified distance away from the goal or a finishing line.
3》 in a public place for pleasure or entertainment.
4》 so as to be revealed, heard, or known.
5》 at or to an end.
↘so as to be finished.
6》 (of a light or fire) so as to be extinguished or no longer burning.
■ preposition non-standard contraction of ~ of .
■ adjective
1》 not at home or one's place of work.
2》 made public; revealed.
↘published.
↘ informal in existence or use.
↘open ab~ one's homosexuality.
3》 no longer existing.
↘no longer in fashion.
4》 not possible or worth considering.
5》 unconscious.
6》 mistaken: he was slightly ~ in his calculations.
7》 (of the ball in tennis, squash, etc.) ~side the playing area.
8》 Cricket & Baseball no longer batting.
9》 (of a flower) open.
■ noun
1》 informal a way of escaping from a difficult situation.
2》 Baseball an act of putting a player ~.
■ verb
1》 informal reveal the homosexuality of.
2》 knock ~.
3》 dated expel or dismiss.
Phrases
at ~s ( N. Amer. on the ~s ) in dispute.
~ and ab~ engaging in normal activity after an illness.
~ for intent on having.
~ of
1》 from (a place or source).
2》 not having (something).
~ of it informal
1》 not included.
2》 unaware of what is happening.
↘ Brit. drunk.
~ to do something keenly striving to do something.
~ with it say what you are thinking.
Origin
OE ūt (adverb), ūtian (v.), of Gmc origin.
Usage
The use of ~ rather than ~ of as a preposition, as in he threw it ~ the window , is common in informal contexts, but is not widely accepted in standard British English.