ins and outs


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Related to ins and outs: insightful, shrewd

ins and outs

 (ĭnz; outs)
pl.n.
1. The intricate details of a situation, decision, or process.
2. The windings of a road or path.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ins′ and outs′


n.pl.
intricacies; particulars; peculiarities.
[1880–85]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَفاصيل
detailysložitosti
smáatriîi; òekkja hvern krók og kima
bütün ayrıntılarincelikler

in

(in) preposition
1. describing the position of a thing etc which is surrounded by something else. My mother is in the house; in London; in bed.
2. showing the direction of movement. He put his hand in his pocket.
3. describing the time at, after or within which something happens. in the morning; I'll be back in a week.
4. indicating amount or relative number. They arrived in large numbers.
5. expressing circumstances, state, manner etc of an event, person etc. dressed in a brown coat; walking in the rain; in a hurry; written in English; He is in the army; books tied up in bundles; She is in her sixties.
adverb, adjective
1. expressing the position of a person etc, usually at or to a place where the person etc is expected to be, eg home, office, station. Is Mr Smith in?; Is the train in yet?; Is he coming in today?
2. describing something which is fashionable or popular. Short skirts are in at the moment.
3. (of the tide) with the water at, or moving to, its highest level. The tide is (coming) in.
-in
describing an activity usually carried out by groups of people as a form of protest etc. a sit-in; a work-in.
inmostinnermostunder innerday etc in, day etc out
day etc after day etc without a break. I do the same boring job day in, day out; Last summer it rained week in, week out.
inasmuch as, in as much as
because; in consideration of the fact that. It would not be true to say he had retired from this firm, inasmuch as he still does a certain amount of work for us.
in for
likely to experience (especially something bad). We're in for some bad weather; You're in for it if you broke that window!
ins and outs
the complex details of a plan etc. He knows all the ins and outs of this scheme.
insofar as, in so far as
to the degree or extent that. I gave him the details insofar as I knew them.
in that
because; from the fact that. This is not a good plant for your garden in that its seeds are poisonous.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
He never meddled with any other town, for he was afraid to venture into houses whose ins and outs he did not know and the habits of whose households he was not acquainted with.
It takes a big raskil to beat him; but there's bigger to be found, as know more o' th' ins and outs o' the law, else how came Wakem to lose Brumley's suit for him?"
I han't seen a way to get you safe, and I've looked arter you to know your ins and outs. For, says Old Orlick to himself, 'Somehow or another I'll have him!' What!
"A fine calculation you are making!" said Don Quixote; "it is plain you don't know the ins and outs of the printers, and how they play into one another's hands.
Caleb scattered his snuff carefully instead of taking it, and then added, "The ins and outs of things are curious.
Also, within an hour or so, he was able to bring to us a Greek boy of seventeen or eighteen who knew thoroughly well the ins and outs of oyster piracy.
I will squeeze it out of him, as one of the family: he must let me know the ins and outs of it all!