putting-out
|put-ting-out|
/ˈpʊtɪŋ aʊt/
(put out)
causing something to go out/away
Etymology
'putting-out' ultimately derives from the phrasal verb 'put out'. The verb 'put' originates from Middle English 'putten' (of uncertain origin, possibly related to Middle Dutch 'putten'), where the root meant 'to place or set'; 'out' originates from Old English 'ūt' meaning 'out, outside'.
'put' changed from Middle English 'putten' and combined with Old English 'ūt'/'out' to form the phrasal verb 'put out'; the gerund/nominal form 'putting-out' developed later to name the action (and in historical contexts, the 'putting-out system').
Initially it meant 'to place or set outside', but over time the phrasal verb 'put out' acquired related senses such as 'extinguish', 'issue/publish', 'send out', and the noun/gerund 'putting-out' came to denote those actions (and the specialized 'putting-out system').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the action of extinguishing something (especially a fire).
The putting-out of the fire required a crew of firefighters.
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Noun 2
the action of issuing, releasing, or publishing something (e.g., an edition, product, or statement).
The putting-out of the new edition boosted sales.
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Noun 3
(historical) The domestic or putting-out system: a system in which merchants supplied raw materials to rural households to be processed into finished goods.
Many textile regions grew under the putting-out system in the 18th century.
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Last updated: 2025/12/13 13:42