takeout

1 of 3

noun

take·​out ˈtāk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce takeout (audio)
1
a
: prepared food packaged to be consumed away from its place of sale
b
: an establishment selling takeout
2
: the action or an act of taking out
3
a
: something taken out or prepared to be taken out
b(1)
: an article (as in a newspaper) printed on consecutive pages so as to be conveniently removed
(2)
: an intensive study or report

take-out

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, selling, or being food not to be consumed on the premises
take-out counter
a take-out supper

take out

3 of 3

verb

took out; taken out; taking out; takes out

transitive verb

1
a(1)
(2)
b
: to find release for : vent
take out their resentments on one anotherJ. W. Aldridge
c(1)
(2)
(3)
2
a
: to obtain from the proper authority
take out a charter
take out a second mortgage
b
: to arrange for (insurance)
3
: to take as an equivalent in another form
took the debt out in trade
4
: to overcall (a bridge partner) in a different suit

intransitive verb

: to start on a course : set out
Phrases
take it out on
: to expend anger, vexation, or frustration in harassment of

Examples of takeout in a Sentence

Noun We ordered some Chinese takeout. She works in a Chinese takeout. Verb he took out his frustrations by splitting a cord of firewood she'd like to take the new boy out to the movies sometime
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That spring, the Takeover series pivoted from traditional dine-in dinners to a takeout model, allowing restaurants to earn the proceeds from ticket sales and support staff who might otherwise be unemployed. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Companies today can only give takeout offers up to 40% higher. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 The offer is available for dine-in and in-person takeout only. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2024 According to a study from Betway, Indianapolis is the fifth-best city in the U.S. for takeout wings. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Keith Lee, a former MMA fighter and now social media food critic with 17 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, is known for his videos eating takeout food in cities around the country in his car and giving honest reviews. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024 The offer is valid on dine-in and takeout orders only and is limited to one per customer, according to Buffalo Wild Wings. Tanasia Kenney, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 The shoutout was an Easter egg for South L.A. fans who knew of secret flavors like the Thai shrimp taco that Nathan orders — as well as the takeout window’s infamous wait times. Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Kelce's mustard blazer and pants, burgundy beanie and striped turtle-neck bared a uncanny resemblance to a Cheesecake Factory takeout bag, the company observed. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Over 30 new restaurants and bars opened in metro Phoenix in February, from Indian cuisine to take-out dumplings to a shrimp taco truck. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 As a result of the social distancing requirements dictated by the CDC, customers shifted to getting their food via take-out or delivery. Craig Dunaway, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Lee tried take-out from Ace of Wingz, a popular Phoenix chicken wing joint with over 59.4K Instagram followers. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 Folks had been suggesting the take-out shop since last year. The Indianapolis Star, 16 Feb. 2024 Located on 3909 Chenoweth Square, The Cheddar Box was known for offering take-out lunches, catering for business events and cooking holiday meals. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 29 Jan. 2024 Her take-out plan worked well for a time — indeed Bill Addison honored the restaurant this year by inducting Meals by Genet into the L.A. Times Restaurant Hall of Fame. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024 The enticing growth in the compact EV market has been spurred by the near ubiquitous use of e-bikes and electric scooters by couriers for delivery services that drop take-out food and groceries at online shoppers’ doors. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 Whether you brown-bag your lunch, eat take-out or stop into a restaurant, the key is to create a healthy eating plan — not only for nutrition but for overall well-being. Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 9 Feb. 2024
Verb
Ledoux also took out another driver’s side mirror, troopers said. Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 The blaze has already killed thousands of cattle and has taken out other livestock, crops and equipment. Dalia Faheid, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 What was always fun about TV was collaborating with people — even executives — and sometimes the power has been taken out of the hands of executives because the decisions are all about return on investment. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 To get Swift’s attention, the Kellogg’s brand took out a full-page ad in the Friday (March 1) issue of the Kansas City Star. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024 The property’s new $950 million loan, which was taken out, in part, to help finance a capital investment of $166 million, carries an interest rate of nearly 10 percent, higher than its earlier 2017 loan of 7 percent, according to Costar. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 The Palestinian architect and mother of two could hear Israeli fighter jets rumbling overhead as air strikes took out the building next to hers. Aya Batrawy, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 Certainly in places where disasters are much more seen as part of Earth’s pattern, like Japan, New Zealand, and Indonesia, they’re taken out of the political cycle. Rob Reddick, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024 The spotted lanternfly can swarm and take out big swaths of crops. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'takeout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1941, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of takeout was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near takeout

take out

takeout

take-out

Cite this Entry

“Takeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/takeout. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

takeout

1 of 2 noun
take·​out ˈtā-ˌkau̇t How to pronounce takeout (audio)
1
: the action or an act of taking out
2
: something taken out or made to be taken out
3
: prepared food packaged to be eaten away from its place of sale

take out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)tā-ˈkau̇t
1
a
: to take away : deduct
2
: to find release for : vent
took out their anger on me
3
: to conduct or escort into the open or to a public entertainment
4
: to take as payment in another form
took the debt out in goods
5
: to obtain from the proper authority
take out a charter
6
: to start on a course : set out

More from Merriam-Webster on takeout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!