Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To extinguish: To cause something that is burning, such as a fire, candle, or light, to stop burning.
   • To inconvenience or bother: To cause trouble, discomfort, or inconvenience to someone.
   • To produce and make available: To prepare and issue something for public distribution, such as a publication, statement, or product.
   • To cause to be out (in sports): In baseball, to cause a runner or batter to be declared out.
   • To exert or expend: To use a significant amount of effort or work.
   • To dislocate: To cause a joint, such as a shoulder, to become displaced from its socket (often used in the passive voice: "to have a joint put out").

Usage Examples

• To extinguish:
  • Please put out the campfire before you go to sleep.
  • She put out the candles after the birthday song.
• To inconvenience:
  • Would it put you out if I arrived an hour later?
  • I hope this request doesn't put you out too much.
• To produce and make available:
  • The studio puts out three new films each year.
  • The government put out a warning about the storm.
• To cause to be out (in sports):
  • The catcher put the runner out with a perfect throw.
• To exert effort:
  • He put out a great effort to finish the project on time.

Advanced Usage

• "To be put out" (idiomatic): To be annoyed, offended, or inconvenienced.
  • She was very put out by their rude comments.
• "Put out a contract" (idiomatic): To arrange for someone to be killed, typically by hiring a criminal.
  • The gangster put out a contract on the informant's life. (Note: This is a specific, figurative idiom.)

Variants and Related Words

• Output (noun): The amount of something produced by a person, machine, or industry.
  • The factory's output increased this quarter.
• Outage (noun): A period when a service, especially electrical power, is unavailable.
  • The storm caused a widespread power outage.

Synonyms

• Extinguish: To cause a fire or light to stop burning.
• Inconvenience: To cause trouble or difficulty for someone.
• Issue/Publish: To produce and release for distribution.
• Exert: To apply or bring to bear (effort, influence).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Put out feelers: To make discreet or tentative inquiries.
  • The company is putting out feelers to see if there's interest in a merger.
• Put out to pasture: To retire someone or something, often because they are old or no longer useful.
  • After forty years of service, the old manager was put out to pasture.

Related Idioms

• Put out a fire (literal & figurative): To extinguish a fire; to deal with an urgent problem or crisis.
  • The manager spent the morning putting out fires caused by the computer glitch.
• Put out the welcome mat: To give someone a very warm and hospitable reception.
  • The town really put out the welcome mat for the visiting athletes.

Verb

1. administer an anesthetic drug to
   • The patient must be anesthetized before the operation
   • anesthetize the gum before extracting the teeth
2. prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
   • publish a magazine or newspaper
3. retire
   • he was put out at third base on a long throw from left field
4. cause to be out on a fielding play
5. be sexually active
   • She is supposed to put out
6. put out, as of a candle or a light
   • Douse the lights
7. thrust or extend out
   • He held out his hand
   • point a finger
   • extend a hand
   • the bee exserted its sting
8. deprive of the oxygen necessary for combustion
   • smother fires
9. put out considerable effort
   • He put out the same for seven managers
10. to cause inconvenience or discomfort to
    • Sorry to trouble you, but...