inside

[preposition in-sahyd, in-sahyd; adverb in-sahyd; noun in-sahyd; adjective in-sahyd, in-, in-sahyd]

preposition

on the inner side or part of; within: inside the circle; inside the envelope.

prior to the elapse of; within: He promised to arrive inside an hour.

adverb

in or into the inner part: Please go inside.

indoors: They play inside on rainy days.

within one's heart, reason, etc.; by true nature; basically: I know inside that he's not guilty. Inside, she's really very shy.

Slang. in prison.

noun

the inner or internal part; interior: the inside of the house.

the inner side or surface: the inside of the hand; He pinned the money to the inside of his jacket.

Usually insides. Informal. the inner parts of the body, especially the stomach and intestines: The coffee scalded my insides.

a select or inner circle of power, prestige, etc.: a man on the inside.

the shortest of several parallel, curving tracks or lanes; the part of an oval track closest to the inner rail: The horse came up fast on the inside.

the inward nature, mind, feelings, etc.

Slang. confidential or secret information.

an inside passenger or place in a coach, carriage, etc.

adjective

situated or being on or in the inside; interior; internal: an inside seat.

acting, employed, done, or originating within a building or place: He used to work on the dock but now he has an inside job.

derived from the inner circle of those concerned in and having private knowledge of a situation: inside information.

Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing between home plate and the batter: The pitch was low and inside.

Idioms

inside of, Informal. within the space or period of: Our car broke down again inside of a mile.

inside out,

with the inner side reversed to face the outside.
thoroughly; completely: She knew the work inside out.

Origin of inside

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at in, side¹

Synonyms for inside

7. Inside, interior both refer to the inner part or space within something. Inside is a common word, and is used with reference to things of any size, small or large: the inside of a pocket. Interior, somewhat more formal, denotes the inner part or the space or regions within; it usually suggests considerable size or extent, and sometimes a richness of decoration: the interior of a country, of the earth, of a cathedral.

Antonyms for inside

7. outside, exterior.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for inside of

inside

noun (ˈɪnˈsaɪd)

the interior; inner or enclosed part or surface

the side of a path away from the road or adjacent to a wall

(also plural) informal the internal organs of the body, esp the stomach and bowels

inside of in a period of time less than; within

inside out with the inside facing outwards

know something inside out to know something thoroughly or perfectly

preposition (ˌɪnˈsaɪd)

in or to the interior of; within or to within; on the inside of

adjective (ˈɪnˌsaɪd)

on or of an interior; on the insidean inside door

(prenominal) arranged or provided by someone within an organization or building, esp illicitlythe raid was an inside job; inside information

adverb (ˌɪnˈsaɪd)

within or to within a thing or place; indoors

by nature; fundamentallyinside, he's a good chap

slang in or into prison

xref

See outside

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for inside of

inside

late 14c., ynneside "interior of the body," compound of in (adv.) + side (n.). The adjective is 1610s, from the noun. Inside job "robbery, espionage, etc., committed by or with the help of a resident or servant of a place" is attested by 1887, American English (also, late 19c., early 20c., "indoors work"). Inside track "advantage" is metaphoric because those lanes are shorter on a curved track. Inside of, in reference to time, is from 1839.

Idioms and Phrases with inside of

inside of

Within, in less than the whole of, referring especially to a period of time. For example, They promised to return it inside of a month. Although some authorities believe inside alone conveys the same meaning, the full term is widely used. [Early 1800s]

inside

In addition to the idioms beginning with inside

inside of
inside out
inside track, the

also see:

on the inside
step in (inside)