Out1, adv.
[A-S., O. Sax., O. Fries., & Icel. út, Goth. & Sw. ut, Dan. ud, D. uit, O. H. Ger. uz, N. H. Ger. aus.] Without; on the outside; not within; on the exterior, or beyond the limits of any inclosed place or given line;—opposed to in or within;—used in a variety of special senses; as, (a.) Abroad; not at home; as, the master of the house is out;—a colloquial phrase for gone out. (b.) In a state of disclosure or discovery; as, the secret is out, that is, has come out, is disclosed. (c.) Not in concealment or secrecy.
When these are gone, The woman will be out. Shak.
(d.) In a state of extinction, exhaustion, or destitution; in want or debt; with deficiency or loss; as, the candle, or the fire, is out; the wine is out; to be out fifty pounds. (e.) Not in office or employment; as, I care not who is in, or who is out; he is out of business. (f.) Not within or at home; abroad, or from home; in public, on display, and the like; as, he was not out to-day; the militia companies are out; the man was out in a frolic last night. (g.) To the end; during the whole of; completely; as, to sleep out the whole morning. “Hear me out.” Dryden. (h.) In an open or free manner; without restraint; audibly or perceptibly; vividly or forcibly; as, to laugh out; to shine out. (i.) Not in the hands of the owner; as, the land is out upon a lease. (j.) In error or mistake; not in the right; in a wrong or incorrect position or opinion.
Wicked men are strangely out in the calculating of their own interest. South.
As a musician that will always play, And yet is always out at the same note. Roscommon.
(k.) In a puzzle; at a loss.
I have forgot my part, and I am out. Shak.
(l.) Not within shelter or cover; uncovered; with clothes torn; as, to be out at the knees or elbows. (m.) Away; off;—used as an exclamation, with the force of command. “Out with the dog.” Shak.
☞ Out is used in composition, prefixed to a great many words, with nearly the same significations as when it follows these words, having the sense of issuing, extending, drawing from, separating, bringing to open view, or, in short, the passing of a limit that incloses or restrains; also, denoting excess, or the doing to a greater degree, or in a better manner than, or bearing the metaphorical sense of vanishing, coming to an end. [See Note under OVER.]
Out and out, completely; without reservation.—Out of, from;—a phrase in which, according to some authors, out may be considered as an adverb, and of as a preposition; by others, the whole phrase is regarded as a preposition. It indicates origin, source, or derivation, and the like, and is used to express a great variety of relations; as, (a.) Origin or source; derivation; as, plants grow out of the earth; he paid me out of his own funds. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Prov. iv. 23. “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.” James iii. 10. (b.) Result; consequence;—denoting the motive, source, or reason; as, a thing is done out of envy, spite, or ambition. “Out of that will I cause those of Cyprus to mutiny.” Shak. “What they do not grant out of the generosity of their nature, they may grant out of mere impatience.” Smalridge. (c.) Copy from an original; quotation;—equivalent to from; as, to cite or copy out of Horace. (d.) The state of being away from, or not within; as, out of the door or house. (e.) Rescue or liberation; as, to be delivered out of afflictions. “Christianity recovered the law of nature out of all those errors.” Addison. (f.) Exclusion, dismission, departure, absence, or dereliction; as, out of favor; out of use; out of place; out of fashion. (g.) Dereliction or departure; neglect of proper observance; as, he will not be flattered or frightened out of his duty; he attempted to laugh men out of virtue. (h.) Deviation from what is common, regular, or proper; extravagance, exorbitance, or irregularity; as, this is out of all method; out of all rule; he goes out of his way to find cause of censure; he is out of order; the ship is out of time. (i.) Departure or deviation from regular or normal state or condition; disorder; as, the mouth is out of taste; the instrument is out of tune. (j.) The state of being beyond, or not within the limits of; as, to be out of hearing, out of sight, out of reach; time out of mind, i. e., time beyond the reach of memory. (k.) Excess; great degree;—equivalent to beyond; as, out of the power of fortune. “They were astonished out of measure.” Mark x. 26. (l.) Loss or exhaustion; as, to be out of breath; out of hope.—Out of all cess, excessively. “The poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.” Shak.—Out of all whooping, beyond all measure. [Obs.] Shak.—Out of frame, out of the proper or just order or condition; irregular; disordered. “The king’s majesty, when he cometh to age, will see a redress of these things so out of frame.” Latimer.—Out of hand, immediately; at once; without delay; forthwith. “And out of hand proclaimed ivy and peace through all his state.” Spenser. “Ananias, hearing that, by and by fell down and died out of hand.” Latimer. “Gather we our forces out of hand.” Shak.—Out of one’s time, having reached the period of majority; no longer a minor.—Out of print, not in market, or to be purchased, the copies printed having been all sold, or otherwise disposed of;—said of a book or other printed work.—Out of season, not in the proper time or season; at an improper time; as, he is witty out of season; the seed was sown out of season.—Out of sorts, out of order; unwell.—Out of temper, in bad temper; irritated; sullen; peevish.—Out of trim, not properly prepared;—applied to a ship when not properly stowed or balanced for sailing.—Out of tune. (a.) Not accordant or harmonious; harsh; discordant. “Sweet bells jangled and out of tune.” Shak. (b.) Hence, not in a good state or temper; ruffled; irritated; as, he is out of tune.—Out of twist, the same as out of winding. [Scot.]—Out of winding, or out of wind, not having a wind or twist; wrought to a plane; even;—applied by artificers to surfaces.—Out to out (Carp.), from outside to outside; so as to include the whole breadth, size, or thickness;—applied to measurements.—Out upon you, out upon it, away with you, away with it;—expressions of dislike or contempt.