takeout

American  

[teyk-out] / ˈteɪkˌaʊt /

Or take-out

noun

1. the act or fact of taking out.

2. something made to be taken out, especially food prepared in a store or restaurant to be carried out for consumption elsewhere.

3. Informal. a store, restaurant, or counter specializing in preparing food meant to be carried out for consumption elsewhere.

4. a section, as of a magazine, that may be removed intact, usually consisting of a story, article, or set of illustrations.

5. Also called takeout loan,.  Also called takedown.  Also called takeout mortgage.  Finance. a long-term real-estate mortgage arranged for a building the construction of which is financed by an interim short-term loan construction loan.

6. Cards.

   1. Bridge. a bid in a suit or denomination different from the one bid by one's partner.

   2. Poker. the minimum with which a player can begin.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or supplying food and drink to be taken out and consumed elsewhere.

   the takeout window of a restaurant.

2. Also of, relating to, or providing a takeout mortgage.

   The high-rise developer has found a takeout commitment from a large insurance company.

Etymology

Origin of takeout

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase take out

Explanation

When you order food from a restaurant but eat it at home, you can call it takeout. After a long week, you and your family might get takeout and eat it while watching a movie. You can use takeout as a noun or an adjective. All the takeout containers in your trash can may remind you that you haven't eaten homemade food in a while, but if there's an amazing Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood, it's hard to resist picking up nightly takeout. You can also use the terms carryout and takeaway, but takeout is the oldest of these, dating from around 1940.

Example Sentences

Driven by Gen Z and millennials, 25% of borrowers hold three or more BNPLs at once, with 29% turning to those for groceries and 20% for delivery or takeout.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The National Restaurant Association’s 2025 survey also found that a majority of consumers would take advantage of off-premise dining options, including delivery, takeout and drive-thru ordering, more often if they could better afford it.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026

Some people rushed to grocery stores to stockpile goods, though motorcycles delivering takeout meals and groceries continued to zip around the city.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

We have a whole system with Din Tai Fung now, which is logging in on the wait list while we’re still on the highway, or ordering takeout.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

“Your mom left some money and said we could order takeout if we wanted,” Gibby said, waving the menu in the air before dropping it on the nightstand.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly