Obs. Forms: 1 utor, 6 Sc. uter; 1 uttor, 2, 7, 9, utter, 3–5 uttere (6 Sc. uttir), 4–7 vtter (5 vttir, vttyr), 4–5 vttere, [OE. útor, úttor, útter (compar. of út OUT adv.), = MLG. uter, G. ausser, ON. útarr.]
1. Farther out, away, or apart; out, outside, without.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxiv. § 12. Nabbað hi nan god ofer þæt to secanne, ne hi nanwuht ne maʓonne ufor ne utor findan.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xx. 28. Þonne byþ ðe arwurðlicor þonne þe man uttor scufe.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 73. [He] ne dar his sinnes seien þe prest leste hit uttere cume þat hie tweien witen.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 42. He schulde be halden vtter, With mony blame ful bygge,… Hurled to þe halle dore.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1565. Þer he … made hym, maw-gref his hed, forto mwe vtter.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, III. 232. Þe portir with his pikis þo put him vttere.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., V. 112. In wynter to his codde an heep of stonys Is good, that in the somer vtter don is.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Feslial, I. 258. Þys man … set to þe roches his schuldyr, and bade hom … sterte vttyr.
c. 1500. World & Child, 527. Stonde vtter, felowe! Where doest thou thy curtesy preue.
c. 1529. Skelton, E. Rummyng, 535. A strawe, sayde Bele, stande vtter.
2. From among others; = OUT adv. 1 e. Cf. OUT-TRY v. 1. rare–1.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., II. 294. In Nouember kitte of the bowes drie, Superfluent & thicke ek vtter trie.
3. To an utter degree; quite, altogether.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., King & No K., IV. i. I know they will deny me gracious Madam, Being … So utter empty of those excellencies That tame Authority.
1652. G. Sandys, Trav. (ed. 5), 47. It utter [earlier edd. utterly] excludes his former excuse of an allegory.
1816. Accum, Chem. Tests (1818), 139. Exposed in an utter dark place, to a brisk current of air.
4. Utter-fine: a. Of metals: Superfine. Sc.
1562–3. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 232. Fourtie five unce of uter fyne silvir.
1641. in Cochran-Patrick, Rec. Coinage Scot. (1876), I. Introd. 31. Vtter fynne gold.
1641. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 366/2. Per ferramenta trium petrarum purissimi lie utter fyne argenti.
b. ellipt. A superfine make or quality of cloth. Sc. (Freq. c. 1537–50.)
1529. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., V. 365. Ane eln tua quarteris, and ane half of uterfyne to be tua pair of hois. Ibid. (1537), vi. 351. Ten elnis uter fyne to be ane goun.
1564. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 309. Sevintene cairsayis and fyve stekis of uttir fyne.
