Out (out), adverb [OE. out, ut, oute, ute, AS. ūt, and ūte, ūtan, fr. ūt; akin to D. uit, OS. ūt, G. aus, OHG. ūz, Icel. ūt, Sw. ut, Dan. ud, Goth. ut, Skr. ud. √198. Cf. About, But, preposition, Carouse, Utter, adjective]

In its original and strict sense, out means from the interior of something; beyond the limits or boundary of somethings; in a position or relation which is exterior to something; – opposed to in or into. The something may be expressed after of, from, etc. (see Out of, below); or, if not expressed, it is implied; as, he is out; or, he is out of the house, office, business, etc.; he came out; or, he came out from the ship, meeting, sect, party, etc. Out is used in a variety of applications, as: –

1. Away; abroad; off; from home, or from a certain, or a usual, place; not in; not in a particular, or a usual, place; as, the proprietor is out, his team was taken out. Opposite of in.

“My shoulder blade is out.” Shak.

He hath been out (of the country) nine years. Shak.

2. Beyond the limits of concealment, confinement, privacy, constraint, etc., actual or figurative; hence, not in concealment, constraint, etc., in, or into, a state of freedom, openness, disclosure, publicity, etc.; a matter of public knowledge; as, the sun shines out; he laughed out, to be out at the elbows; the secret has leaked out, or is out; the disease broke out on his face; the book is out.

Leaves are out and perfect in a month. Bacon.

She has not been out [in general society] very long. H. James.

3. Beyond the limit of existence, continuance, or supply; to the end; completely; hence, in, or into, a condition of extinction, exhaustion, completion; as, the fuel, or the fire, has burned out; that style is on the way out.

“Hear me out.” Dryden.

Deceitful men shall not live out half their days. Ps. iv. 23.

When the butt is out, we will drink water. Shak.

4. Beyond possession, control, or occupation; hence, in, or into, a state of want, loss, or deprivation; – used of office, business, property, knowledge, etc.; as, the Democrats went out and the Whigs came in; he put his money out at interest.

“Land that is out at rack rent.” Locke. “He was out fifty pounds.” Bp. Fell.

I have forgot my part, and I am out. Shak.

5. Beyond the bounds of what is true, reasonable, correct, proper, common, etc.; in error or mistake; in a wrong or incorrect position or opinion; in a state of disagreement, opposition, etc.; in an inharmonious relation.

“Lancelot and I are out.” Shak.

Wicked men are strangely out in the calculating of their own interest. South.

Very seldom out, in these his guesses. Addison.

6. Not in the position to score in playing a game; not in the state or turn of the play for counting or gaining scores.

☞ Out is largely used in composition as a prefix, with the same significations that it has as a separate word; as outbound, outbreak, outbuilding, outcome, outdo, outdoor, outfield. See also the first Note under Over, adverb

Day in, day out

> from the beginning to the limit of each of several days; day by day; every day.

Out at

Out in

Out on , etc.

elliptical phrases, that to which out refers as a source, origin, etc., being omitted; as, out (of the house and) at the barn; out (of the house, road, fields, etc., and) in the woods.

Three fishers went sailing out into the west, Out into the west, as the sun went down. C. Kingsley.

In these lines after out may be understood, “of the harbor,” “from the shore,” “of sight,” or some similar phrase. The complete construction is seen in the saying: “Out of the frying pan into the fire.”

Out from

a construction similar to out of (below). See Of and From.

Out of

a phrase which may be considered either as composed of an adverb and a preposition, each having its appropriate office in the sentence, or as a compound preposition. Considered as a preposition, it denotes, with verbs of movement or action, from the interior of; beyond the limit: from; hence, origin, source, motive, departure, separation, loss, etc.; – opposed to in or into; also with verbs of being, the state of being derived, removed, or separated from. Examples may be found in the phrases below, and also under Vocabulary words; as, out of breath; out of countenance.

Out of cess

beyond measure, excessively. - Shak.

Out of character

unbecoming; improper.

Out of conceit with

not pleased with. See under Conceit.

Out of date

not timely; unfashionable; antiquated.

Out of door

Out of doors

beyond the doors; from the house; not inside a building; in, or into, the open air; hence, figuratively, shut out; dismissed. See under Door, also, Out-of-door, Outdoor, Outdoors, in the Vocabulary.

“He ’s quality, and the question's out of door,” Dryden.

Out of favor

disliked; under displeasure.

Out of frame

not in correct order or condition; irregular; disarranged. Latimer.

Out of hand

immediately; without delay or preparation; without hesitation or debate; as, to dismiss a suggestion out of hand.

“Ananias . . . fell down and died out of hand.” Latimer.

Out of harm's way

beyond the danger limit; in a safe place.

Out of joint ,

not in proper connection or adjustment; unhinged; disordered.

“The time is out of joint.” Shak.

Out of mind

not in mind; forgotten; also, beyond the limit of memory; as, time out of mind.

Out of one's head

beyond commanding one's mental powers; in a wandering state mentally; delirious. [Colloq.]

Out of one's time

beyond one's period of minority or apprenticeship.

Out of order

not in proper order; disarranged; in confusion.

Out of place

not in the usual or proper place; hence, not proper or becoming.

Out of pocket

in a condition of having expended or lost more money than one has received.

Out of print

not in market, the edition printed being exhausted; – said of books, pamphlets, etc.

Out of the question

beyond the limits or range of consideration; impossible to be favorably considered.

Out of reach

beyond one's reach; inaccessible.

Out of season

not in a proper season or time; untimely; inopportune.

Out of sorts

wanting certain things; unsatisfied; unwell; unhappy; cross. See under Sort noun

Out of temper

not in good temper; irritated; angry.

Out of time

not in proper time; too soon or too late.

Out of time

not in harmony; discordant; hence not in an agreeing temper; fretful.

Out of twist

Out of winding or Out of wind

not in warped condition; perfectly plain and smooth; said of surfaces.

Out of use

not in use; unfashionable; obsolete.

Out of the way

(a) On one side; hard to reach or find; secluded

(b) Improper; unusual; wrong.

Out of the woods

not in a place or state of obscurity or doubt; free from difficulty or perils; safe. [Colloq.]

Out to out

from one extreme limit to another including the whole length breadth or thickness; applied to measurements.

Out West

in or towards the West; specifically in some Western State or Territory. [U. S.]

To come out

To cut out

To fall out

etc. See under Come Cut Fall etc.

To make out

See to make out under make transitive verb and intransitive verb.

To put out of the way

to kill; to destroy.

Week in week out

See Day in, day out (above).

Out (out), noun

1. One who, or that which, is out; especially, one who is out of office; – generally in the plural.

2. A place or space outside of something; a nook or corner; an angle projecting outward; an open space; – chiefly used in the phrase ins and outs; as, the ins and outs of a question. See under In.

3. (Print.) A word or words omitted by the compositor in setting up copy; an omission.

To make an out

(a) to omit something, in setting or correcting type, which was in the copy.

(b) (Baseball) to be put out in one's turn at bat, such as to strike out, to ground out, or to fly out.

Out (out), transitive verb

1. To cause to be out; to eject; to expel.

A king outed from his country. Selden.

The French have been outed of their holds. Heylin.

4. To give out; to dispose of; to sell. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Out intransitive verb To come or go out; to get out or away; to become public.

“Truth will out.” Shak.

Out interjection Expressing impatience, anger, a desire to be rid of; – with the force of command; go out; begone; away; off.

Out, idle words, servants to shallow fools! Shak.

Out upon!

or

Out on!

equivalent to “shame upon!” “away with!” as, out upon you!

-- Webster's unabridged 1913