# takeout

/ˈteɪˌkaʊt/ (US) · /tˈeɪkaʊt/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/takeout
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

food that you order from a restaurant and have delivered to your home or office. You usually pay for it when you get it.

For teachers: food ordered from a restaurant for delivery to a customer's location. Often used in the plural form to refer to the total amount of food ordered.

## Examples

- I ordered some Chinese takeout for dinner.
- The office staff usually orders a large amount of pizza takeout on Fridays to share during the afternoon.
- While some prefer the convenience of home-cooked meals, others find that the variety and quality of restaurant takeout justify the expense of frequent deliveries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.