to put out one's light
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To kill him, "send him into the outer darkness." Othello says, "Put out the light and then put out the light.
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 put out one's light” mean?
To kill him, "send him into the outer darkness." Othello says, "Put out the light and then put out the light.
Is “to put out one's light” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.