to buy out
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To redeem or ransom. Not being able to buy out his life . . . Dies ere the weary sun set.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to buy out” mean?
To redeem or ransom. Not being able to buy out his life . . . Dies ere the weary sun set.
Is “to buy out” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.