outer

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   being on or toward the outside of the body

   the outer ear

2. 2
   adj

   located outside

   outer reality

3. 3
   adj

   Farther from the centre of the inside.

   Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a level with the pavement outside, a narrow way which was several feet lower than the road behind the house.

4. 4
   noun

   An outer part.

   'Phil Cornish' [a snowdrop variety] is like a cross between a pixie hat and a pagoda, with elegant upswept outers [outer petals] marked in a green colour-wash at the top and warpaint slashes at the lower end.

5. 5
   noun

   The smallest single unit sold by wholesalers to retailers, usually one retail display box.

   We ordered two cartons with twelve outers in each.

6. 6
   noun

   Someone who outs another.

   From the early 90s, these were some of the fiercest debates raging in the gay press and in gay and straight bars worldwide as blabbermouths blabbed, sometimes just for the sheer hell of it, and gay celebrities ran for cover or bit the bullet and pipped the outers to the post.

7. 7
   noun

   One who supports leaving the European Union.

   The 51.4 per cent to 48.6 per cent victory of the "outers" broke the back of the Labour government.

8. 8
   adj

   comparative form of out (“(more) open about one's sexuality, etc”): more out

   And 'I like to wear a silly hat; I get camper by the hour. I'm Will Young and I'm gay. Did you know I was gay? I hid it for a while. But now I'm out, I'm outer than you would believe'.[…]

Etymology

From Middle English outre, outer, outter, uttre, from Old English ūtre, ūtera, ūterra (“outer”), equivalent to out + -er. Compare German äußere (“outer”), Danish ydre (“outer”), Swedish yttre (“outer”), Icelandic ytri (“outer”). Piecewise doublet of utter.