let-out
adjective
(of fur) processed by cutting parallel diagonal slashes into the pelt and sewing the slashed edges together to lengthen the pelt and to improve the appearance of the fur.
let-out
American
[let-out, let-out]
/ ˈlɛtˈaʊt, ˈlɛtˌaʊt /
adjective
noun
let out
British
verb
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to give vent to; emit
to let out a howl
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to allow to go or run free; release
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(may take a clause as object) to reveal (a secret)
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to make available to tenants, hirers, or contractors
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to permit to flow out
to let air out of the tyres
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to make (a garment) larger, as by unpicking (the seams) and sewing nearer the outer edge
noun
let out
Idioms
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Allow to get out ; also see get out of .
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Make known, reveal, as in I thought it was a secret—who let it out? [First half of 1800s] Also see let the cat out of the bag .
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Come to a close, end, as in What time does school let out? [Late 1800s]
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Increase the size of a garment, as in May's coat needs to be let out across the shoulders . This usage refers to opening some of the seams. [Late 1700s]
Etymology
Origin of let-out
First recorded in 1830–40; adj., noun use of verb phrase let out
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.
See Examples For:
He does have the let-out proviso – “to the best of my ability” – which leaves plenty of room to accommodate his skew-shift views about what he thinks needs preserving, protecting and defending.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 17, 2017
Admittedly Cameron did have a let-out: a letter from a Labour health minister saying there wasn't enough evidence in favour of plain packaging.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 17, 2013
Other calls use the widely-abused "permission to call" let-out clause in the TPS rules.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 16, 2013
His welcome in Buenos Aires was in some contrast to Brazil's let-out friendliness.
From Time Magazine Archive
They blamed their colonel for providing them with what they called this let-out.
From The Memoirs of General Baron De Marbot by Oliver C. Colt
It was an unremarkable night after an unremarkable day in mid-July, and my husband and I were getting ready for bed in our Midtown Manhattan apartment when he let out a blood-curdling shriek.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Tens of thousands of inmates have already been let out of prison early under those measures.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Tens of thousands of inmates have been let out of prison to create more space in jails since 2024.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
He begs to be let out, with Mr. Lucas providing the voice of his own likeness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
I dropped my beanshooter and let out a squall that didn’t even sound like me.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
