count out

verb

1. informal,  to leave out; exclude

   count me out!

2. (of a boxing referee) to judge (a floored boxer) to have failed to recover within the specified time See count 1

3. to count (something) aloud

Idioms and Phrases

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 .

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 .

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]