Definition of shut out

The expression "shut out" is a phrasal verb in English that denotes the act of excluding someone or preventing them from entering a place or participating in an event. The origin of this term can be traced back to the Middle English period (1100-1500). During this time, the word "shit" was commonly used as a verb signifying to close or fasten something, particularly a door or gate. This usage can be seen in old Middle English texts such as the 1390 poem "Piers Plowman": "Thou shalt noon bite from my beoke ken fynde,/ For I wol shutte it spaces whan I wolle." As the English language evolved, the word "shut" also became accepted as a noun meaning a closing device, such as a door or window, which could be locked or barred. This development can be observed in Shakespeare's works, such as in his play "Othello": "But when he comes and knows his passive house / Is not possessed, what should his fancies grows / But into shouting and all loud shouted out / Of barbarous insults?" By the 19th century, the term "shut out" came to describe excluding someone from a place or activity. This modern usage can be seen in Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist": "The sheriff did not shut them out when he came on business next morning. For they had been too loud in preparing their petitions to the Lord Mayor, and were now left without friends to appeal to." In summary, the term "shut out" is a legacy of the Middle English usage of "shut" as a verb meaning to close or fasten, which transformed into a noun and then evolved into a phrasal verb that describes exclusion or prohibition.