Word forms: shakeoutsregional note: in BRIT, use shake-out
countable noun [usu sing]
A shakeout is a major set of changes in a system or an organization which results in a large number ofcompanies closing or a large number of people losing their jobs.
[journalism]
This should be the year of a big shakeout in Italian banking.
shakeout in American English
(ˈʃeɪkˌaʊt)
noun
1. US
any movement in the market prices of securities that forces speculators to sell their holdings
2. US
any drop in economic activity that eliminates marginal or unprofitable businesses, products, etc.