# outer

Pronunciation: US say "OW-tur" /ˈaʊtɚ/; UK say "OW-tuh" /ˈaʊtə/

## Adjective

1. Located on or forming the outside of something; external.
   - Simple: Found on the outside of something, not on the inside.
   - _The outer shell of the helmet absorbs most of the impact._
   - _Engineers inspected the outer surface of the aircraft for cracks._
2. Positioned farther from the center of the inside than another part.
   - Simple: Farther from the middle than something else.
   - _The outer layers of an onion peel away easily._
   - _Satellites orbit in the outer reaches of the planet's gravity._
12. Comparative form of out. Uncommon; more out is the usual comparative. — comparative form of out (“(more) open about one's sexuality, etc”): more out
   - Simple: Comparative form of out, meaning more open about your sexuality. Most people say more out instead.
   - _After moving away from home, he became far outer about who he was._
   - _Friends noticed she seemed outer and more confident than before._

## Noun

3. A part forming the outside of something.
   - Simple: A part that sits on the outside of a thing.
   - _The jacket's outer is windproof, while the lining adds warmth._
   - _The tulip's outers fade to pink as they age, while the inner petals stay white._
4. A part of the seating at a stadium or sports ground that has no roof over it.
   - Simple: An open part of the seats at a sports ground, with no roof.
   - _Fans in the outer brought blankets and picnic baskets to the game._
   - _Tickets for the outer cost far less than seats in the grandstand._
5. A shot that strikes the outer ring of a target.
   - Simple: A shot that hits the outer ring of a target.
   - _A single outer cost her the championship by one point._
   - _The judge recorded the shot as an outer rather than an inner._
6. The fourth scoring circle on a target, lying outside the inner and the magpie.
   - Simple: The fourth ring on a target, outside the two innermost rings.
   - _The bullet struck the outer, well away from the center._
   - _Scoring an outer earns the fewest points of the named rings._
7. The smallest pack that wholesalers sell to shops, usually one box made for display.
   - Simple: The smallest amount a wholesaler sells to a shop, usually one display box.
   - _The wholesaler refused to split an outer for a single packet._
   - _Retailers buy candy by the outer rather than the individual unit._
8. A person who publicly admits to something.
   - Simple: A person who tells the public something about themselves.
   - _Praised as a courageous outer, she discussed her diagnosis publicly._
   - _The outer addressed reporters and admitted his role in the scandal._
9. A person who publicly reveals something private about another person.
   - Simple: A person who tells others a private secret about someone else.
   - _The outer leaked details of the actor's private life to the press._
   - _As an outer, she revealed a colleague's identity against his wishes._
10. An act of ousting or dispossession.
   - Simple: The act of forcing someone out of a home or position.
   - _The court ordered the outer of the squatters from the building._
   - _Her abrupt outer from the board followed months of disputes._
11. Someone in favor of their country leaving the European Union. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A person who wants their country to leave the European Union.
   - _An outer like her father wanted full independence from Brussels._
   - _The outers narrowly won the referendum._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A person who forces someone or something out of a place, position, or possession.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–7** — From Middle English outre (also outer, uttre), from Old English ūtre, ūtera, ūterra meaning "outer," equivalent to out plus the suffix -er. It is related to German äußere, Danish ydre, and Swedish yttre, and is a doublet of "utter."
**Meanings 8–11** — From the verb out plus the agent suffix -er, meaning one who does the action.
**Meaning 12** — From the adjective out plus the comparative suffix -er.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/outer (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).