【come out】 —

1. (of a tooth) fall out:

• My tooth has just 【come out】 .

2. (of a stain, etc.) be removed:

• Do you think that dirty mark will 【come out】 ?

3. be freed (from a prison):

• It’s been a long year, but he comes out next Friday.

4. emerge; become visible:

• The sun came out as soon as the rain stopped.

5. be uttered:

• I intended to make a joke, but my remark came out as unintentionally rude.

6. become clear or known:

• I don’t want the news of our wedding to 【come out】 yet.

7. be published:

• When does Tom’s new book 【come out】 ?

8. be seen as in a photograph:

• I’m afraid our holiday photos didn’t 【come out】 .

9. reach a result; succeed:

• Let me know how the voting comes out.

10. start a strike:

• He had the promises of 300 to 【come out】 “in sympathy” when the time came for quitting work.

11. (of a young girl) enter on social life:

• Is her eldest daughter coming out this year?

12. be offered for public viewing:

• The famous collection of rare old furniture is coming out next week.

13. (of a performer) go on stage:

• When it came time to 【come out】 for the third curtain call I said, “Bobby, I just can’t make it no further.”

14. emerge (in a specified manner) from a contest, examination, etc.:

• The President did not 【come out】 well in the inquiry.

15. (of smb.’s traits of character) be revealed; show clearly:

• At such testing times, only the good in him came out, and none of the bad.

16. admit smth. openly, especially acknowledge one’s homosexuality:

• Several I spoke to referred to the difficulties they experienced in “coming out”—realizing they were homosexuals.

【go out】 —

1. move to a distant country or place:

• Their youngest son went out to Canada and made a fortune.

2. (of girls in former times) leave home for employment (in the house of others):

• When she was eighteen she went out as a nursemaid.

3. attend social functions; go to parties, dances, etc.:

• She still goes out a great deal, even at seventy-five.

4. (of invitations, orders, etc.) be sent to several people:

• The wedding invitations had all gone out, but Jane says she hasn’t received hers.

5. be broadcast:

• The special program on the new Prime Minister goes out tonight at 9 o’clock.

6. (of a fire or light) become extinguished; stop burning:

• Have you a match? My cigarette has gone out.

7. (of money) be spent:

• There’s more money going out than coming in, and I’m worried about the business.

8. become obsolete; stop being popular or fashionable:

• Long skirts went out after a short season of popularity.

9. (of a government) retire from power:

• If the government goes out at the next election, who will lead the country?

10. (euph.) die:

• I hope that when I 【go out】 I shall leave a better world behind.

11. (of the sea) flow away from the shore:

• When the sea goes out, the sand stretches for a long way.

12. = 【come out】 10:

• The Post Office workers went out before Christmas, now the electricians are out.