check out
Britishverb
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(intr) to pay the bill and depart, esp from a hotel
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(intr) to depart from a place; record one's departure from work
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to investigate or prove to be in order after investigation
the police checked out all the statements
their credentials checked out
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informal (tr) to have a look at; inspect
check out the wally in the pink shirt
noun
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the latest time for vacating a room in a hotel, etc
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( as modifier )
checkout time
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a counter, esp in a supermarket, where customers pay
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Record one's departure from a hotel by paying the bill, or from a conference or other function, as in As soon as my bags are packed I'll check out of the motel . [Early 1900s]
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Leave hurriedly, make a quick exit, as in The minute I get paid I'm checking out . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Die, as in When he got cholera, he was sure he'd check out . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Withdraw an item after recording the withdrawal, as in I'll check out the tapes on your library card . [1930s]
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Record, total the prices, and receive payment for a purchase, as in The cashier checked out and bagged my groceries in record time .
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. Investigate or evaluate something or someone; observe carefully. For example, I don't know if you'll like the film; check it out yourself , or That man who's staring is probably just checking us out . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
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Pass close inspection, as in That rattle made me suspicious, but the repairman said the machine checked out completely .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Opening my backpack, I grabbed the book I’d checked out of the library just that morning.
From Literature
In the past, Tesla stock would get a boost from spikes in oil prices, with higher gasoline prices driving buyers to check out all-electric options.
From Barron's
They had already checked out of their hotel and had nowhere to go.
Taken with the image, Gyllenhaal checked out the movie and was surprised to discover Lancaster’s iconic character was only in it for a few minutes.
From Los Angeles Times
“I’m hoping it’s not no big deal, but we’ll get her checked out and just want to take the precaution and pull her out of those lineups,” McDonald said.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
