takeout

1 of 3

noun

take·​out ˈtāk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce takeout (audio)
1
a
: prepared food packaged to be consumed away from its place of sale
b
: an establishment selling takeout
2
: the action or an act of taking out
3
a
: something taken out or prepared to be taken out
b(1)
: an article (as in a newspaper) printed on consecutive pages so as to be conveniently removed
(2)
: an intensive study or report

take-out

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, selling, or being food not to be consumed on the premises
take-out counter
a take-out supper

take out

3 of 3

verb

took out; taken out; taking out; takes out

transitive verb

1
a(1)
(2)
b
: to find release for : vent
take out their resentments on one anotherJ. W. Aldridge
c(1)
(2)
(3)
2
a
: to obtain from the proper authority
take out a charter
take out a second mortgage
b
: to arrange for (insurance)
3
: to take as an equivalent in another form
took the debt out in trade
4
: to overcall (a bridge partner) in a different suit

intransitive verb

: to start on a course : set out
Phrases
take it out on
: to expend anger, vexation, or frustration in harassment of

Examples of takeout in a Sentence

Noun We ordered some Chinese takeout. She works in a Chinese takeout. Verb he took out his frustrations by splitting a cord of firewood she'd like to take the new boy out to the movies sometime
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Field Blend combines cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, petit verdot, zinfandel and merlot into a smooth, ripe, slightly sweet red, fine for casual sipping or to wash down burgers or takeout kebabs. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 And if the point of your beer hall is socializing over great food, takeout removes the vibe. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 The cost of dining out and takeout increased 0.5% from December. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 13 Feb. 2024 That spring, the Takeover series pivoted from traditional dine-in dinners to a takeout model, allowing restaurants to earn the proceeds from ticket sales and support staff who might otherwise be unemployed. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Companies today can only give takeout offers up to 40% higher. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 The offer is available for dine-in and in-person takeout only. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2024 According to a study from Betway, Indianapolis is the fifth-best city in the U.S. for takeout wings. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Keith Lee, a former MMA fighter and now social media food critic with 17 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, is known for his videos eating takeout food in cities around the country in his car and giving honest reviews. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Over 30 new restaurants and bars opened in metro Phoenix in February, from Indian cuisine to take-out dumplings to a shrimp taco truck. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 As a result of the social distancing requirements dictated by the CDC, customers shifted to getting their food via take-out or delivery. Craig Dunaway, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Lee tried take-out from Ace of Wingz, a popular Phoenix chicken wing joint with over 59.4K Instagram followers. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 Folks had been suggesting the take-out shop since last year. The Indianapolis Star, 16 Feb. 2024 Located on 3909 Chenoweth Square, The Cheddar Box was known for offering take-out lunches, catering for business events and cooking holiday meals. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 29 Jan. 2024 Her take-out plan worked well for a time — indeed Bill Addison honored the restaurant this year by inducting Meals by Genet into the L.A. Times Restaurant Hall of Fame. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024 The enticing growth in the compact EV market has been spurred by the near ubiquitous use of e-bikes and electric scooters by couriers for delivery services that drop take-out food and groceries at online shoppers’ doors. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 Whether you brown-bag your lunch, eat take-out or stop into a restaurant, the key is to create a healthy eating plan — not only for nutrition but for overall well-being. Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 9 Feb. 2024
Verb
Mike Lonergan, communications director for Robinson's gubernatorial campaign, said the lieutenant governor and his comments are being taken out of context. Mark Robinson, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 Then one of them allegedly took out a gun and ordered the clerk to empty his register. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 Meindl wants to cut down on third party spending, focus on sustainability Wauwatosa is taking out too much debt and has excessive spending of at least $1 million on third party vendors like attorney fees, Meindl said. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 In Kellett’s warehouse, jobs include doing the weekly shopping for all the housemates, washing towels and taking out the trash and recycling. Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Never disappoints and is a great place to take out of towners who can't get good Mex in their hometown. Felicia Campbell, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Almost a week before the blowout, the 737 had been taken out of service on Dec. 31 because of an issue with the front passenger entry and exit door. James Glanz, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 With the state struggling to offset a budget deficit of at least $37.9 billion, bonds act as a method of sorts for government to take out loans paid back over time to fund big-ticket policies. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Huerter was taken out of Wednesday’s game with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter and didn’t return — in part because Brown emptied the bench and played only reserves in fourth-quarter garbage time. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'takeout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1941, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of takeout was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near takeout

take out

takeout

take-out

Cite this Entry

“Takeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/takeout. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

takeout

1 of 2 noun
take·​out ˈtā-ˌkau̇t How to pronounce takeout (audio)
1
: the action or an act of taking out
2
: something taken out or made to be taken out
3
: prepared food packaged to be eaten away from its place of sale

take out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)tā-ˈkau̇t
1
a
: to take away : deduct
2
: to find release for : vent
took out their anger on me
3
: to conduct or escort into the open or to a public entertainment
4
: to take as payment in another form
took the debt out in goods
5
: to obtain from the proper authority
take out a charter
6
: to start on a course : set out

More from Merriam-Webster on takeout

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