out - transitive verb (People and Society) To expose the homosexuality of (a prominent or famous person); to force (someone) to come 'out of the closet'. Also as an action noun outing, the practice or policy of making such a revelation , especially as a political move on the part of gay rights activists; agent noun outer. Etymology: Formed by turning the adverb out (as in the phrase come out (that is, out of the closet), meaning 'to make public one's homosexuality') into a verb. The transitive verb out already existed in a number of more general senses. History and Usage: The practice of outing, also known as tossing, was first brought to public attention in the US in early 1990, when public revelations about the sexual orientation of some famous people were used as a political tactic by gay rights activists; they were concerned mainly about lack of support for the victims of Aids, even among those who were closet gays. The word out and its derivatives very quickly acquired a currency among gay groups in the UK as well; wherever it was practised, outing caused considerable controversy. The New York gay magazine OutWeek became particularly associated with outing, revealing the homosexuality of a number of prominent film stars and public figures who, it said, were betraying the cause of gay rights by remaining silent. Instead of tossing or outing this congressman, I...called to his attention the hypocrisy that he had been legislating against gays. Los Angeles Times 22 Mar. 1990, section E, p.
23 This [i.e. Aids] is the new factor that gives outing both its awful appeal and its power and , most precisely, exposes the motives of the outers as terrorism. Sunday Times 6 May 1990, section C, p. 6

out - adv.,
prep., n., adj., int., & v. --adv.

1 away from or not in or at a place etc. (keep him out; get out of here; my son is out in Canada).
2 (forming part of phrasal verbs) a indicating dispersal away from a centre etc. (hire out; share out; board out). b indicating coming or bringing into the open for public attention etc. (call out; send out; shine out; stand out). c indicating a need for attentiveness (watch out; look out; listen out).
3 not in one's house, office, etc. (went out for a walk).
4 to or at an end; completely (tired out; die out; out of bananas; fight it out; typed it out).
5 (of a fire, candle, etc.) not burning.
6 in error (was 3% out in my calculations).
7 colloq. unconscious (she was out for five minutes).
8 a (of a tooth) extracted. b (of a joint, bone, etc.) dislocated (put his shoulder out).
9 (of a party, politician, etc.) not in office.
10 (of a jury) considering its verdict in secrecy.
11 (of workers) on strike.
12 (of a secret) revealed.
13 (of a flower) blooming, open.
14 (of a book) published.
15 (of a star) visible after dark.
16 unfashionable (turn-ups are out).
17 (of a batsman, batter, etc.) no longer taking part as such, having been caught, stumped, etc.
18 not worth considering; rejected (that idea is out).
19 colloq. (prec. by superl.) known to exist (the best game out).
20 (of a stain, mark, etc.) not visible, removed (painted out the sign).
21 (of time) not spent working (took five minutes out).
22 (of a rash, bruise, etc.) visible.
23 (of the tide) at the lowest point.
24 Boxing unable to rise from the floor (out for the count).
25 archaic (of a young upper-class woman) introduced into society.
26 (in a radio conversation etc.) transmission ends (over and out).

--prep.

1 out of (looked out the window).
2 archaic outside; beyond the limits of.

--n.

1 colloq. a way of escape; an excuse.
2 (the outs) the political party out of office.

--adj.

1 (of a match) played away.
2 (of an island) away from the mainland.

--int.

a peremptory dismissal, reproach, etc. (out, you scoundrel!).

--v.

1 tr. a put out. b colloq. eject forcibly.
2 intr. come or go out; emerge (murder will out).
3 tr. Boxing knock out.

at outs at variance or enmity. not out Cricket (of a side or a batsman) not having been caught, bowled, etc. out and about (of a person, esp. after an illness) engaging in normal activity. out and away by far. out and out 1 thorough; surpassing.
2 thoroughly; surpassingly. out at elbows see ELBOW . out for having one's interest or effort directed to; intent on. out of 1 from within (came out of the house).
2 not within (I was never out of England).
3 from among (nine people out of ten; must choose out of these).
4 beyond the range of (is out of reach).
5 without or so as to be without (was swindled out of his money; out of breath; out of sugar).
6 from (get money out of him).
7 owing to; because of (asked out of curiosity).
8 by the use of (material) (what did you make it out of?).
9 at a specified distance from (a town, port, etc.) (seven miles out of Liverpool).
10 beyond (something out of the ordinary).
11 Racing (of an animal, esp. a horse) born of. out of bounds see BOUND(2) ). out of date see DATE(1) ). out of doors see DOOR . out of drawing see DRAWING . out of hand see HAND . out of it not included; forlorn. out of order see ORDER . out of pocket see POCKET . out of the question see QUESTION . out of sorts see SORT . out of temper see TEMPER . out of this world see WORLD . out of the way see WAY . out to keenly striving to do. out to lunch colloq. crazy, mad. out with an exhortation to expel or dismiss (an unwanted person). out with it say what you are thinking. [OE ut, OHG uz, rel. to Skr. ud-]