outlet English · revision 10573

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 1250|origins=en out|origins=en let}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈaʊt.let/, /ˈaʊt.lət/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound of [[out]] and the verb [[let]],^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) formed after let out.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A place or opening by which something escapes, first a river mouth: before 1250 in the OED, the mid-13th century in Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative sense, a means of relief or release for feelings, is from the 1620s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In anatomy, the opening of a body cavity is from 1797.^(OED 1989) An electrical socket is from 1892,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and a market for a product is a later commercial sense,^(Etymonline) with a retail store selling a manufacturer's goods attested by 1933.^(Etymonline) A media outlet, an organization that publishes news, is a modern use.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1250 – a river mouth, an opening.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1620s – a means of relief.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1797 – an anatomical opening.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1892 – an electrical socket.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1933 – a retail store.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An opening or passage through which something can escape; a [[vent]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A means of [[release]] or expression for emotion or energy.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A shop or market selling a product: ''retail outlets''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An organization that publishes news: ''media outlets''.^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(US)'' An electrical [[socket]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # A stream flowing out of a lake.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[let]]

+ * [[out]]

+ * [[inlet]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}