out

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ūt; akin to Old High German ūz out, Greek hysteros later, Sanskrit ud up, out Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) in a direction away from the inside or center <

went out into the garden

> (2) outside <

it's raining out

> b. from among others c. away from the shore d. away from home or work <

out to lunch

> e. away from a particular place 2. a. so as to be missing or displaced from the usual or proper place <

left a word out

> <

threw his shoulder out

> b. into the possession or control of another <

lend out money

> c. into a state of loss or defeat <

was voted out

> d. into a state of vexation <

they do not mark me, and that brings me out — Shakespeare

> e. into groups or shares <

sorted out her notes

> <

parceled out the farm

> 3. a. to the point of depletion, extinction, or exhaustion <

the food ran out

> <

turn the light out

> <

all tuckered out

> b. to completion or satisfaction <

hear me out

> <

work the problem out

> c. to the full or a great extent or degree <

all decked out

> <

stretched out on the floor

> 4. a. in or into the open <

the sun came out

> b. out loud <

cried out

> c. in or into public circulation <

the evening paper isn't out yet

> <

hand out pamphlets

> <

the library book is still out

> 5. a. at an end <

before the day is out

> b. in or into an insensible or unconscious state <

she was out cold

> c. in or into a useless state <

landed the plane with one engine out

> d. so as to end the offensive turn of another player, a side, or oneself in baseball <

threw him out

> <

fly out

> 6. — used on a two-way radio circuit to indicate that a message is complete and no reply is expected II. verb Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. eject, oust 2. to identify publicly as being such secretly <

wanted to out pot smokers

>; especially to identify as being a closet homosexual intransitive verb to become publicly known <

the truth will out

> III. preposition Date: 13th century — used as a function word to indicate an outward movement <

ran out the door

> <

looked out the window

> IV. adjective Date: 13th century 1. a. situated outside ; external b. out-of-bounds 2. situated at a distance ; outlying <

the out islands

> 3. not being in power 4. absent 5. removed by the defense from play as a batter or base runner in a baseball inning <

two men out

> 6. directed outward or serving to direct something outward <

the out basket

> 7. not being in vogue or fashion 8. not to be considered ; out of the question 9. determined 1 <

was out to get revenge

> 10. engaged in or attempting a particular activity <

won on his first time out

> 11. publicly known or identified as a homosexual V. noun Date: 1717 1. outside 2. one who is out of office or power or on the outside <

a matter of outs versus ins

> 3. a. an act or instance of putting a player out or of being put out in baseball b. a player that is put out 4. a way of escaping from an embarrassing or difficult situation