I. preposition
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ūt of, from ūt out (adverb) + of — more at out , of
1.
a. — used as a function word to indicate direction or movement from an enclosed space to the outside
fell out of the crib
took his hands out of his pockets
hit the ball out of the park
stomped up the aisle and out of the church — James Thurber
b. — used as a function word to indicate removal or situation outside the bounds of a group, association, belief, or condition
voted him out of the club
married out of his faith
born out of wedlock
out of the ordinary
2.
a. — used as a function word to indicate a change in quality, state, or form
the patient is out of danger
translated the play out of Latin into English
woke up out of a deep sleep
b. — used as a function word to indicate a quality or state that is not normal, usual, or correct
the trees grew thicker and lower here … and many of them were out of the vertical — C.S.Forester
his prices are out of line
the microscope is out of focus
made some remarks that were out of line
c. — used as a function word to indicate a position or state away from what is familiar or expected
out of his depth
out of his sphere
out of his class
3.
a. — used as a function word to indicate direction, motion, or distance from a point regarded as a center or starting point
he has gone out of town for two days
they were ten miles out of port before they found the stowaway
the salesmen operate out of New York
b. — used as a function word usually with a specified number to indicate distance from a place or limit
a suburb two miles out of town
thousands of miles out of the earth's gravitational field
c. — used as a function word to indicate removal or situation away from the effective action of some faculty or agency
the ships fled out of range
he was soon out of sight
out of hearing
out of control
4.
a. — used as a function word to indicate origin or birth
many capable performers have been out of mares with below average records — F.A.Wrensch
a farm boy out of the Middle West
b. — used as a function word to indicate basis or source
a farmer who had done well out of strawberries — Roy Lewis & Angus Maude
has made a fortune out of steel
growth must be financed out of saving — W.M.Martin b.1906
c. — used as a function word to indicate cause or motive
acted out of reverence rather than out of sensibility — R.M.Weaver
obeys him out of fear
the inflation arose out of many different factors
5.
a. — used as a function word to indicate exclusion from or deprivation of an office or position
was forced out of his chairmanship
turned out of his post
b. — used as a function word to indicate the fact or condition of being without something usually or formerly possessed
the store was out of sugar
he was all out of breath when he ran up
the car is out of gas
6. — used as a function word to indicate choice or selection from among a group
we must select one policy out of the many open to us
only one out of three plants survived the frost
•
- out of it
II. preposition
•
- out of it