# outlet

Pronunciation: say "OWT-let" /ˈaʊtlɛt/

## Noun

1. A socket in a wall, wired to the electrical supply, where devices can be plugged in to get power.
   - Simple: A point in a wall where you plug in things that use electricity.
   - _The electrician added an outlet behind the television so the cables would stay hidden._
   - _Older houses often have too few outlets for all of today's gadgets._
2. A store where customers can buy goods from a particular maker or supplier.
   - Simple: A store that sells goods from one maker or brand.
   - _She manages a clothing outlet that carries only one designer's line._
   - _The manufacturer runs several outlets across the region to sell directly to customers._
3. A means by which a person can release pent-up desires, emotions, or energy.
   - Simple: A way to let out strong feelings or energy.
   - _After a long week, the gym became his main outlet for frustration._
   - _Writing in a journal offered her a quiet outlet for feelings she couldn't say aloud._
4. A vent or similar passage that allows something to escape.
   - Simple: An opening that lets gas, water, or air escape.
   - _The tank has an outlet near the base to let excess water drain away._
   - _Hot gases leave the furnace through an outlet at the top._
5. A river that flows out of a lake, carrying its water onward.
   - Simple: The river that flows out of a lake.
   - _The lake drains through a single outlet at its southern end._
   - _Several streams feed the lake, but only one outlet carries water away._

## Origin

From Middle English outlete (also outeleate, ut-lete), from the verb outleten ("to allow, let out, emit"), equivalent to out- plus let. It is comparable to West Frisian útlit, Dutch uitlaat, and German Auslass, all meaning "outlet."

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