1946 as an extreme snow condition on the U.S. prairie, from white as a verb + out (adv.). From 1977 as a liquid correction for paper.

also buy-out, "the purchasing of a controlling share in a company," 1961, from verbal phrase buy out "purchase (someone's) estate and turn him out of it," 1640s, from buy (v.) + out (adv.).

also rain out, rainout, "cancellation or interruption of an outdoor event due to rain," 1947, from the verbal phrase; see rain (v.) + out (adv.). Of baseball games, to be rained out "cancelled because of rain" is attested from 1928.

also washout, 1877, "act of washing out" (a drain, etc.), from verbal phrase; see wash (v.) + out (adv.). From 1873 as "excavation of a roadbed, etc., by erosion" is from 1873. Meaning "a disappointing failure" is from 1902, from verbal phrase wash out "obliterate, cancel" (something written in ink), attested from 1570s. Hence also the colloquial sense of "to call off (an event) due to bad weather, etc." (1917). Of colored material, washed-out "faded" is from 1837.

"act of surveillance (of a place) to detect criminal activity or find a wanted person," by 1942, American English, from the verbal phrase (1942), from stake (v.2) + out (adv.).

1868, "far off," from way (adv.), short for away, + out. Sense of "original, bold," is jazz slang from 1940s, probably suggesting "far off" from what is conventional or expected.

1918, from verbal phrase, from fade (v.) + out (adv.).

"exceed in any excess of evil," from Shakespeare's it out-Herods Herod in Hamlet's instruction to the players in "Hamlet" Act III, Scene II. Shakespeare used the same construction elsewhere ("All's Well that Ends Well" has out-villain'd villany). The phrase reflects the image of Herod as stock braggart and bully in old religious drama. The form of the phrase was widely imitated 19c. and extended to any excessive behavior.

Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise: I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant; it out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it. ["Hamlet"]

1744, in medicine, "pertaining or relating to spasm; spasmodic," from Latin spasticus, from Greek spastikos "afflicted with spasms," also "pulling in, slurping in;" etymologically "drawing, pulling, stretching," from span "to draw (a sword, etc.), pull out, pluck; tear away, drag; suck in; slurp down; contract violently" (see spasm (n.)).

The noun meaning "a person affected with spastic paralysis" is attested from 1896, used insultingly by 1960s. Related: Spastically; spasticity.

early 15c., eradicacioun, "complete destruction or removal," from Latin eradicationem (nominative eradicatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of eradicare "root out, extirpate, annihilate," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + radix (genitive radicis) "root" (from PIE root *wrād- "branch, root"). The notion is a "pulling up by the roots."