check out

• Audio (US):

  (file)

check out (third-person singular simple present checks out, present participle checking out, simple past and past participle checked out)

1. (intransitive) To confirm and pay for goods and services at a facility (e.g.: supermarket, online store, hotel) when leaving.
   • 1977, “Hotel California”, in Don Henley, Glenn Frey (lyrics), Don Felder (music), Hotel California, performed by The Eagles:

     "Relax," said the night man / "We are programmed to receive / You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave!"

   Be sure to check out of the hotel before noon.

   I'm done shopping, so I'll go check out now.

2. (transitive) To withdraw (an item), as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

   He checked his favorite mystery out for the twenty-third time.

3. (transitive) To record (someone) as leaving the premises or as taking something therefrom, as from a library or shop.

   The desk clerk checked out the family that had been staying in room 322.

   The library assistant was checking people out.

   • 2010, Peterson's, Master the Corrections Officer Exam, Peterson's (→ISBN), page 9:

     At 9:30 am, 12 inmates were checked out to the dispensary.

4. (transitive) To examine, inspect, look at closely, ogle; to investigate; to gather information so as to make a decision.
   • 1979 August 25, Steven Tierney, “Darts”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 6, page 5:

     If Mr. Brill had been interested in accuracy, he might have read the written statement I presented that night. I was speaking on my own behalf because I felt that the Darts management deserved my support. Mr. Brill might even have asked me about my testimony. Instead he chose to check out his half-facts with others. His resultant report was inaccurate and divisive.

   He was hanging out at the beach, checking out the young women in bikinis.

   He checked out the rumor, and managed to verify that it was true.

   Check it out! Best prices in town.

   Check this out! They just arrested the Mayor!

5. (transitive, programming) To obtain source code (and/or other material) from a source control repository so that one can modify it (and often later "check in" the modified version back).
6. (intransitive) To become uninterested in an activity and cease to participate in more than a perfunctory manner; to become uncooperative.
   • 2010, S. Greggory Johnson III, The Black Professoriat: Negotiating a Habitable Space in the Academy, page 189:

     The purpose of this exercise was to ignite reactions from students, but over the few years I used it, it backfired, culminating in a situation where I lost a significant number of the white students, who just "checked out" for the rest of the semester.

7. (intransitive) To become catatonic or otherwise nonresponsive.
   • 2007, Susan Nathiel, Daughters of Madness: Growing Up and Older With a Mentally Ill Mother, page 42:

     Even during those years, there would be a lot of times she just checked out. She would be sitting there looking at her nails and she'd just be gone.

8. (intransitive) To leave in a hurry.
9. (intransitive, euphemistic, by extension) To die.
   • 1972, The Mechanic (1972 film), Charles Bronson (as Mr. Bishop), Jan-Michael Vincent (as Steve):

     Steve: (referring to his girlfriend attempting suicide in front of both of them) Look, I was just an observer.
     Bishop: You haven't answered my question.
     Steve: Well, what do you think?
     Bishop: We'll never know, will we?
     Steve: Well, say I just sat there—or we just sat there—and watched her check out. Think that would have been crazy?

   • 2012, Gwen Sebastian, Met Him In a Motel Room:

     With a bottle full of sleeping pills and a long list of sins
     She'd already planned on checking out before she checked in

10. (intransitive) To prove (after an investigation) to be the case, or to be in order.

    The first two leads check out; I'll assume the third one is also valid.

    Their stories checked out.

    • 1960, “The Case of the Ill-Fated Faker”, in Perry Mason, season 4, episode 3:

      A comparison test was made with this weapon in laboratory. It definitely checks out as the murder gun.

    • 2013, Steve Suehring, Janet Valade, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript & HTML5 All-in-One For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 459:

      MySQL checks the validity of the account name and password, and checks whether the connection is coming from a host that's allowed to connect [...]. If everything checks out, MySQL accepts the connection.

11. (darts) To visit the oche for the last time and clear one's remaining points to win the game.

• (antonym(s) of “most senses”): check in

• check you out
• checkout
• self-check out