Out (?), adv. [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,
prep., Carouse, Utter,
a.] 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. "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 of figurative; hence,
not in concealment, constraint, etc., in, or into, a state of
freedom, openness, disclosure, publicity, etc.; 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. "Hear me out."
Dryden.
Deceitiful 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, adv.
Day in, day out, from the beginning to the
limit of each of several days; day by day; every day. --
Out and out. (a)
adv. Completely; wholly; openly.
(b) adj. Without any
reservation or disguise; absolute; as, an out and out
villain. [As an adj. written also out-and-out.] --
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; 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. "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,
n. -- 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, winding, or
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 put out of the
way, to kill; to destroy. -- Week in, week
out. See Day in, day out (above).