Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

peter out

/ˌpitɚ‿ˈaʊt/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.87 in modern English

Syllables: pe-ter out
IPA: /ˌpitɚ‿ˈaʊt/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Synonym of peter (“to diminish to nothing, (originally) to refer to a vein of ore”).

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"What started as a great effort ended up petering out to nothing."
"Q. Do you think, Doctor, that it is possible for that south strand to likewise peter out and disappear?"
"But the luck had failed, the mines petered out; and the army of miners had departed, and left this quarter of the world to the rattlesnakes and deer and grizzlies, and to the slower but steadier advance of husbandry."
"Seal the area off. Let them burn down the town, kill each other off, and it will peter out after a while."
"I shall therefore suggest that the ongoing speaker deliberately allows her/his turn to peter out in the hope that someone else will take up the initiative."
"The remaining 25% of air that lies more than 10km above ground becomes ever more tenuous until it finally peters out some 150km above our heads."

Etymology

From peter (“diminish to nothing”, intransitive verb) + out. First attested in the mid-1800s.

Origin

First known use: First attested in the mid-1800s

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpitɚ‿ˈaʊt/
British English: /ˌpiːtəɹ‿ˈaʊt/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

peters out (present, singular) petering out (participle, present) petered out (participle, past) petered out (past)

Synonyms

dwindle fade away fade out gutter out spin down tail away trail off peter

Rhymes With

about out take out without set about term out throughout doubt route fill out knock about shout

Questions

How do you pronounce peter out?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpitɚ‿ˈaʊt/.
What does peter out mean?: Synonym of peter (“to diminish to nothing, (originally) to refer to a vein of ore”).
Where does peter out come from?: First known use: First attested in the mid-1800s.

How to pronounce peter out

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpitɚ‿ˈaʊt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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