Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):
   • To have a meal at a restaurant or at someone else's home, rather than at one's own home.

Usage

• The verb "eat out" describes the action of dining away from one's own residence. It is commonly used to contrast with eating at home ("eat in"). It is an intransitive phrasal verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. You eat out a place.

Examples

• Basic Usage:

  • We decided to eat out to celebrate our anniversary.
  • I'm too tired to cook tonight; let's just eat out.
  • They eat out almost every Friday night.

• Usage with Preposition 'at':

  • We ate out at a lovely Italian restaurant.
  • Are you eating out at your parents' house this weekend?

Advanced Usage

• "to eat out of someone's hand": This is an idiomatic expression meaning to be completely under someone's control or influence. It is separate from the phrasal verb "eat out."
  • After the successful presentation, the clients were eating out of her hand.

Variants and Related Words

• Dine out (verb): A more formal synonym for "eat out," often implying a more sophisticated meal.
  • They prefer to dine out at fine establishments.

Synonyms

• Dine out: To eat a meal, especially dinner, at a restaurant.
• Have a meal out: A more descriptive phrase with the same meaning.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Eat in (verb): To have a meal at home, as opposed to in a restaurant.
  • It's cheaper to eat in than to eat out.

Related Idioms

• "to have someone eating out of your hand": To have someone completely charmed, persuaded, or under your control.
  • The charismatic speaker had the entire audience eating out of his hand.

Verb

1. eat at a restaurant or at somebody else's home