Putout

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To extinguish a fire or light source ; to produce or issue something such as a publication or work ; to dismiss or get rid of a person from a job or role
2. To put an end to flames or brightness ; to bring forth or release a product or creative work ; to remove someone from employment or office
3. To stop burning or shining by extinguishing ; to create and distribute something like a book or broadcast ; to cause someone to be fired or expelled from a position

Etymology: "Putout" is a noun formed from the phrasal verb "put out," with the noun derived from the verb rather than the other way round. The phrase "put out" is old and plain: its parts are the verb "put," meaning to place or set something somewhere, and the adverb "out," which here signals removal from a place or state. The verb sense was long established before the noun appeared, so the noun is best understood as a compact label for the act that the phrase describes. The three senses listed for the noun track the phrasal verb's own meanings. Extinguishing a fire or light is the oldest and most literal, since putting out a flame removes it from the place where it was burning. Publishing a book or broadcast takes the sense of setting something out before the public. Removing someone from a job or position follows the same logic of sending a person out of their post. Each sense reflects the physical image of moving something out of its place.

Synonyms: dismissal, removal

Antonyms: inclusion, acceptance