count out
Britishverb
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informal to leave out; exclude
count me out!
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(of a boxing referee) to judge (a floored boxer) to have failed to recover within the specified time See count 1
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to count (something) aloud
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Declare a boxer (or other contestant) to have lost, as in Paul was counted out in the first round . This term alludes to count in the sense of “ten seconds,” the time allowed for a boxer to rise after being knocked down (if he does not rise in time, he is “out”). The earliest recorded use of the term was for a cockfight in 1808; its use for boxing came about a century later. Also see down for the count .
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Exclude, leave out of consideration, as in As for skiing this winter, you'll have to count me out . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s] Also see count in .
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Apportion; also, recalculate. For example, They counted out four pieces of music for each band member , or When Peggy got her change she counted out all the pennies . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fans at Bethpage Black have booed the Europeans, cheered their mistakes and begun counting out loud when they feel they’re taking too long to hit the ball.
But barring disaster — never count out the Dodgers’ bullpen — the team is guaranteed at least two more games at home this season.
From Los Angeles Times
The kind of game the Dodgers played on Sunday, however, prompted the same scout to attach this qualifier: They can’t be counted out.
From Los Angeles Times
Manager Dave Roberts says he trusts him to keep taking the mound, and so do I. Like the headline reads, “History says don’t count out Kershaw.”
From Los Angeles Times
Xander Schauffele may not have played much this year because of a rib injury, but it still would be difficult to count out a player who won two majors last year.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.