out

I UK [aʊt] / US adverb, preposition ***

Summary:

Out can be used in the following ways: - as an adverb: We went out into the garden. ♦ He took out a penknife. - after the verb "to be": You were out when I called. ♦ The house was silent and all the lights were out. - in the preposition phrase out of: I got out of bed and went downstairs. In American English and spoken British English out itself is commonly used as a preposition, but many British people consider that this use is not correct: I looked out the window.

1) when you leave a place

a) used for saying that someone leaves their home or place of work in order to visit someone, have a meal, buy something etc

Dr Hammond's out just now, visiting a patient.

take someone out:

Why don't you take Dad out for a drink?

be/get out and about (= go to other places and meet people):

Try to get out and about more – make new friends.

b) leaving a room or building

She went out, slamming the door behind her.

Frank was just coming out of the library.

I followed him out of the door and down the stairs.

"Get out!" she screamed. "Get out of my house."

c) away from an area, town, or country

Follow the main road out of Newport.

I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks.

d) no longer in prison

a convicted murderer who will be out again in seven or eight years' time

2) when something is removed from where it was

a) from inside a container, hole, or space

He opened the drawer and took out a large brown envelope.

Take that chewing gum out of your mouth.

b) used for saying that something is removed from a place where it was fixed

When I opened the book, I saw that several pages had been torn out.

I had a tooth out this morning.

You'll have to take the four screws out, then you can remove the cover.

c) used for stating where money is taken from

One employer had taken £60,000 out of his company's pension fund.

out of:

The money will all come out of my personal bank account.

3) outside

a) not inside a building

Is it cold out?

The children are out in the garden.

out there:

I was standing out there in the rain.

b) from inside a building or vehicle towards something outside

I stood by the window, staring out into the darkness.

He stopped the car, leaned out, and called to me.

4) far away

a) used for saying that someone or something is in another place far away

Her son's gone out to Australia.

way out:

They live way out in the countryside.

out there:

I wonder if there's life out there on another planet somewhere.

b) used for saying how far away from a place something is

The East Midlands airport is just four miles out of Nottingham.

c) used for saying how far away from the coast a boat is

a yacht drifting helplessly 200 miles out in the Atlantic

5) when someone/something is removed

a) used for saying that a mark is removed from the surface of something

Notes in pencil had been rubbed out.

Ink stains will come out if you rub them with vinegar and salt.

b) used for saying that something that you do not want is got rid of

Have you thrown out yesterday's paper?

We need to root out racism in the police and army.

c) used for saying that someone is forced to leave a group, organization, or job

Frederick was kicked out of the army in 1998.

The union threw out 26 members who refused to join the strike.

6) publicly available used for saying that a new product, book, record etc is available for people to buy

It was back in November when the album came out.

In his latest book, out today, he tells of his experiences in the civil war.

7) unconscious used for saying that someone is unconscious or is made unconscious

Arthur had hit his head on a beam and knocked himself out.

I must have been out for five minutes before I recovered consciousness.

8) not fashionable used for saying that something is no longer fashionable

This year pink is definitely out.

Nylon shirts went out years ago.

9) none left with none of something left

out of:

We're out of toilet paper.

run out of something (= use all of something so that there is none left):

a motorist who had run out of petrol

I'm running out of ideas – can you suggest anything?

10) able to be seen

a) if the sun or moon is out, it is not behind clouds

The rain stopped and the sun came out.

b) if flowers are out, they have opened

on a spring evening when the tulips are out

11) having stopped work used for saying that workers are on strike (= have stopped work in order to protest)

Members of the Engineering Union came out in support of the miners.

Workers at the Solihull factory are still out.

12) no longer in a competition used for saying that someone is not allowed to continue taking part in a competition or series of games, especially because they have been defeated

If we don't win today, we'll be out of the championships.

13) not burning, or not shining

a) no longer burning

No wonder it's cold in here – you've let the fire go out.

b) used for saying that lights have been switched off

The children were in bed and the lights were out.

14) no longer ruling a country used for saying that a political party or leader no longer controls the government of a country

Many people voted Liberal just to keep the Tories out.

secret efforts to force the President out of power

15) not in the library/shop used for saying that a book or video is not in a library or video shop because someone has borrowed it

We do have the book you asked for, but it's out at the moment.

16) informal not wanted, or not possible if a particular idea, suggestion, or activity is out, it is not possible or it cannot be accepted

I've hurt my back, so gardening is out as far as I'm concerned.

Anything that costs more than £3,000 is out.

17) with a loud clear sound used for saying that a sound or voice is loud and clear

Church bells rang out across the land.

Someone called out to me from an upstairs window.

out loud:

Don't whisper, say it out loud so we can all hear.

18) British not correct used for saying that a number, calculation, or measurement is not correct

Their calculations were out by about two million pounds.

not far out (= almost correct):

Paul reckoned we'd need 12 gallons of paint, and he wasn't far out.

19) when the sea is low if the tide is out, the sea is at a lower level

Now that the tide was out, we could walk across the sands.

20) known to everyone if information is out, it becomes publicly known

At last her secret was out and, of course, there would be a scandal.

The exam results aren't out yet.

So the news has leaked out already, has it?

21) to a number of different people used for saying that you give or send things to a number of different people

The money will be shared out between 22 different charities.

Have you sent out the invitations yet?

22) no longer batting if a player or team is out during a game of cricket or baseball, they are no longer batting

The West Indies Team were all out before lunch.

23) when your back is in pain used for saying that the bones in your back have moved and it is very painful

Dad threw his back out moving the sofa.

24) mainly American when a machine is not working used for saying that a machine or a piece of electrical equipment is not working

The copy machine is out again.

25) no longer in a situation used for saying that someone is no longer in a bad situation

out of trouble/danger/mischief etc:

Parents will be relieved that their children are out of danger.

Stacey will be allowed to go free on condition that he stays out of trouble for a year.

be out of it:

Everyone was fighting everyone else – I'm glad to be out of it.

a way out (= a way of escaping from a bad situation):

We are facing a major crisis and there is no easy way out.

•

before the day/week/month/year etc is out — mainly literary before a day/week/month/year etc has ended

We planned to meet again before the month was out.

one out of ten/99 out of 100 etc — used for saying how large a part of a group or number you are talking about

Only one out of ten graduates goes into the teaching profession.

out of hospital/school/college etc — used for saying that someone is no longer in hospital/at school etc

He's out of hospital, but he can't go back to work.

just/straight out of something (= having recently left):

Teachers just out of college are most influenced by fashionable theories.

out of interest/respect/pity etc — because of a particular feeling or attitude

It was agreed that alcohol should not be served, out of respect for Muslim customs.

I went along to watch the ceremony, more out of curiosity than anything else.

out of wood/metal/plastic etc — used for saying what kind of material was used for making something

a figure of a dancer carved out of black wood

They had constructed a simple shelter out of bamboo and palm leaves.

run out/sell out — if a supply of something runs out/sells out, there is none left

Supplies of uranium will have run out by the end of the decade.

The first edition of the book sold out within 24 hours.

- be out to do something

- out of it

- out with it

II UK [aʊt] / US adjective

a gay person who is out has told other people that they are gay

an out lesbian politician

out to:

Are you out to your parents?

III UK [aʊt] / US verb [transitive, usually passive]
Word forms "out":
present tense I/you/we/they out he/she/it outs present participle outing past tense outed past participle outed

1) to make it publicly known that someone is gay

a gay schoolteacher who was outed on national television by one of his former students

2) to make an unpleasant or embarrassing fact about someone publicly known

IV UK [aʊt] / US noun [singular]

an excuse that is used in order to avoid having to do something or in order to avoid being blamed

They're trying to find an out so that they don't have to pay for the damage.