outer

American  

[ou-ter] / ˈaʊ tər /

adjective

1. situated on or toward the outside; external; exterior.

   outer garments; an outer wall.

2. situated farther out or farther from the center.

   the outer reaches of space.

3. of or relating to the external world.

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outer British  

/ ˈaʊtə /

adjective

1. being or located on the outside; external

2. further from the middle or central part

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noun

1. archery

   1. the white outermost ring on a target

   2. a shot that hits this ring

2. the unsheltered part of the spectator area at a sports ground

3. informal excluded or neglected

Other Word Forms

• outerness noun

Etymology

Origin of outer

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; out, -er ⁴

Example Sentences

Farther out, stars and gas rotate more smoothly across the vast outer regions of the Milky Way.

From Science Daily

It took him a month to make the life-sized figure, and another three to scale it, cast it in bronze and for his team to painstakingly polish and buff the outer surface.

From Barron's

Many dangerous pathogens use it as a key part of their outer surface, helping them survive and evade immune defenses.

From Science Daily

“But Thor’s eyes are amazing. Look! They are the color of outer space. They’re open!”

From Literature

The results showed that the upper boundary of the outer core does not have a uniform temperature.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• exterior
• outlying