out of townadv.adj.n.
/ˌaʊtə(v)ˈtaʊn/, U.S. /ˌaʊdə(v)ˈtaʊn/ A. adv.
Away from a town; towards the outside of a town; outside a town.
ΚΠ
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 312 Nanmon ne leten in... Ne ga naut ut of tune wið uten sikerfere.
1389 in T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 5 Be he in toun [sc. London] oþer out of toun.
1482 J. Dalton Let. 19 Jan. in Cely Lett. (1975) 128 The sayd Botrell hase bene owt of towne vnto thys same day.
1605 G. Chapman Al Fooles iii. i Say I am gone out of town, & must trust others; how shall I know if those I trust be trusty to me?
1692 W. Congreve Incognita sig. E3 Hippolito, had he not been desperately in Love, would certainly have taken Horse and rid out of Town just then.
1739 H. Baker School for Wives v. iv. 237 I'll pursue my Design, you untractable Brute, and pack you out of Town immediately.
1782 F. Burney Cecilia I. ii. viii. 291 He assured me himself that he was perfectly well, and intended to gallop out of town to-morrow morning.
1801 M. Edgeworth Belinda xiii. 17 Lady Anne Percival would not take me out of town, she said, whilst you were ill.
1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxx. 300 A stately relative..who was out of town.
1872 ‘L. Carroll’ Through Looking-glass vii. 156 If that doesn't ‘drum them out of town’..nothing ever will!
a1928 I. E. Mackay In Town in Compl. Poems (1930) Hark, was that a robin singing? When's the next train out of town?
1991 Amer. Square Dance May 17/1 Before I could put on my lipstick, we were tucked into her car and speeding out of town.
B. adj.
Usually in form out-of-town. Situated, originating, or occurring outside a town; directed outside a town.Frequently in later use of a shopping centre, retail outlet, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > town as opposed to country > town or city > [adjective] > outside a town or city
outen-town1556
out of town1607
extramural1854
1607 T. Dekker & J. Webster West-ward Hoe v. sig. G4 Men are so iealous, or rather enuious of one anothers happinesse (Especially in this out of towne gossipings).
1823 R. B. Peake Duel i. ii. 9 My master has been before in one of your stupid out-of-town villages, and has not been able to get a fox for love or money.
1856 C. Mathews False Pretences ii. iii. 34 Early salmon at Seyder's Monthly Hardware Dinner, to his out-of-town customers, at five.
1891 Boston Daily Globe 24 Mar. 5/8 Out of town people sending to us for wines.
1930 E. Waugh Vile Bodies x. 174 There were a great number of journalists making the best of an ‘out-of-town’ job.
1957 H. Roosenburg Walls came tumbling Down ix. 209 She was going..to make some out-of-town phone calls.
1999 Guardian 25 Oct. 11/5 Last year, more than 23 per cent of retail sales were in out-of-town superstores.
C. n.
In form out-of-town. = out-of-towner n. rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabitant > type of inhabitant generally > [noun] > person from outside a town
out-of-townera1911
out of town1966
1966 ‘W. Haggard’ Power House xiii. 136 The driver..[had] mistaken him for an out-of-town and he'd cruise him through Regent's Park and..claim the full fare.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.adj.n.?c1225