shell out

British  

verb

1. informal (adverb) to pay out or hand over (money)

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shell out Idioms  

1. Pay, hand over, as in We had to shell out $1,000 for auto repairs. This expression transfers taking a seed such as a pea or nut out of its pod or shell to taking money out of one's pocket. [Colloquial; c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of shell out

C19: from _shell (in the sense: to remove from a pod or (figuratively) a purse)

Example Sentences

They have had to shell out thousands of dollars for repairs, including replacing the washing machine and dishwasher, Conrad said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Brazil’s government shells out more than it takes in at a clip many economists consider too high for an emerging economy.

From The Wall Street Journal

He spent about $400 on Lovable’s full suite of features, a sliver of what he would have shelled out to hire a coder.

From The Wall Street Journal

Your experience is, perhaps, a reminder of when to opt for a budget airline and when to shell out for a carrier that operates more aircraft more frequently.

From MarketWatch

He added that Americans shell out about $16 billion on pizza, wings and merchandise for Super Bowl Sunday.

From The Wall Street Journal