give out

give out idiom
  1. Allow to be known, declare publicly, as in They gave out that she was ill. [Mid-1300s]
  2. Send forth, emit, as in The machine gave out a steady buzzing. [Mid-1400s]
  3. Distribute, as in They gave out surplus food every week. [c. 1700]
  4. Stop functioning, fail; also, become exhausted or used up. For example, The motor gave out suddenly, or My strength simply gave out. [First half of 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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