- away from, forth from, or removed from a place, position, or situation: they live ten miles out
- away from home: to go out for dinner
- away from shore
- on strike
- into or in the open air: come out and play
- into or in existence or activity: disease broke out
- to a conclusion or result: argue it out
- completely, fully, or to the point of exhaustion: tired out, dry out
- in full bloom, or in leaf
- into sight or notice: the moon came out
- into or in circulation: to put out a new style
- into or in society: debutantes who come out
- from existence, operation, or activity: fade out, burn out, die out
- away from one's work or usual activity: take time out from one's busy day
- so as to remove from power or office: vote them out
- forcefully; aloud: sing out, speak out
- beyond a regular or normal surface, condition, or position: stand out, eke out, lengthen out
- away from the interior, center, or midst [spread out, reach out, branch out]: sometimes implying sharing or dividing [deal out, sort out]
- from one state, as of composure, harmony, or agreement, into another, as of annoyance, discord, or disagreement: to feel put out; friends may fall out
- into or in disuse, discard, or obsolescence: long skirts went out
- from a number, group, or stock: pick out
- Slang into or in unconsciousness: to pass out
- Baseball in a manner that results in an out: to fly out
Origin of out
Middle English from Old English ut, akin to Old Norse út, German aus from Indo-European base an unverified form ud-, up, up away from source Sanskrit úd-, Classical Latin us(que)- external: usually in comb. [outpost, outfield]
- beyond regular limits
- outlying; remote
- going or directed outward: an out flight
- away from work, school, etc.: out because of sickness
- bared because of torn clothing, etc.: out at the elbow
- deviating from what is accurate or right: out in one's estimates
- not in effective use, operation, etc.
- turned off; extinguished
- not to be considered; not possible
- trying or determined: followed by an infinitive: he's out to humiliate me
- in disagreement; at variance
- that is not successful or in power
- deliberating in order to reach a verdict: the jury is still out
- Informal having suffered a financial loss: out fifty dollars
- Informal no longer popular, fashionable, etc.; outmoded
- Informal publicly identified as being homosexual
- Baseball failing or having failed to get on base
- out of; through to the outside: he walked out the door
- along, and away from a central location or some other point of departure: to drive out a country road
- Old Poet. forth from: usually preceded by the preposition from used without a distinct meaning or syntactic function: a rousing cry from out the trumpet's throat
- something that is out
- a person, group, etc. that is not in power, in office, or in a favored position: usually used in pl.
- Slang a way out; means of avoiding something; excuse
- Baseball the failure of a batter or runner to reach base safely
- Printing
- the omission of a word or words
- the word or words omitted
- Racket Sports a service or return that lands out of bounds
to come out; esp., to become known: the truth will out
- Now Chiefly Dial. to put out
- Informal
- to identify publicly as a homosexual (a person not previously so identified)
- to otherwise publicly reveal information about (someone) that has been kept private or secret: a press story that outs an undercover agent
- get out; go away; begone
- communication completed: term used in radio communication
out Idioms
go out
Golf to play the first nine holes of an 18-hole golf course
on the outs
Informal on unfriendly terms
also, esp. formerly, at outs
out and about
visiting here and there
out and away
by far; without comparison
out and out
completely; thoroughly
out for
determined to get or do
out from under
Informal away from difficulty or danger
out of
- from inside of
- from the number of
- past the boundaries or scope of; beyond
- from (material, etc.): made out of stone
- because of; for the purpose of: out of spite, to make conversation out of politeness
- given birth by: said of animals
- not in possession of; having no: out of money, out of gas
- not in a condition: out of order, out of focus
- so as to deprive or be deprived of: cheat out of money
out of it
Slang- not sophisticated, fashionable, etc.; not hip, with-it, etc.
- in a diminished or impaired mental state; specif., confused, intoxicated, unconscious, etc.
out one's way
Informal in, to, or near one's neighborhood
out on one's feet
- dazed or stunned, but still standing: said esp. of a boxer
- completely exhausted
out there
- Informal available or in existence: there are lots of good colleges out there
- Slang odd, eccentric, etc.
out with it!
speak! say what is on your mind!
