Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to scoop out

to scoop out

7 3.3
Remove the inside of something with a spoon or small tool so it becomes hollow
  • phrasal verb
  • /skuːp aʊt/
translation icon : sacar
  • "Who knows?" he says, scooping out papaya flesh with the spoon.
  • scoop out the flesh
  • scoop out pulp
  • scoop out seeds

Right now I'm going to scoop out the the avocado with a spoon.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Right now I'm going to scoop out the the avocado with a spoon.

    Evan Carmichael

  • Altoon set the cake down, scooped out ice cream onto each of our plates.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • You can use it to scoop out product mix on the mixing plate here.

  • And then from there, after we are done cutting it, we're just going to start scooping out the watermelon meat.

  • Allow the pumpkin to cool, slice off the top, and scoop out the seeds.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Yeah, you're supposed to take the spoon and scoop out the middle.

  • Let rest until cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh, discarding the peel.

    Blog text (12)

  • Chuck positions a makeshift drill in a hole he has scooped out in a piece of driftwood.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Slice eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a half-inch shell.

    Academic text (2004)

  • With a small spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, keeping the shell intact.

Synonyms

to pull out
vsto scoop out
523 2.7

To take something out of a place, often with effort

removes inner parts using a bowl-shaped tool motion rather than forceful pulling
to scoop
vsto scoop out
127 1.9

To lift something using a deep curved tool or your hand

focuses on producing a hollow area rather than only lifting material
to clean out
vsto scoop out
91 3.2

Empty a place or container by removing everything inside

creates an internal hollow but does not necessarily clear every remaining bit
to hollow
vsto scoop out
24 4.8

To remove the inside of something to make an empty space

uses a bowl-shaped tool to take out contents rather than just core parts
to suck out
vsto scoop out
16 4.5

Pull something out of a place by using air to draw it in

uses a manual bowl-shaped tool motion rather than suction to remove material
to hollow out
vsto scoop out
8 4.0

Remove the inside of something to leave an empty space

uses a bowl-shaped tool to remove inner material and make a cavity

Antonyms

to fill
∞ 1.0

To make a place full by putting people or things into it

How Thorough

to gut
  • NSFW
122 6.7
to empty
179 1.0
to scoop out
7 3.3
to remove
∞ 1.5

Surface Forms

scoop out infinitive
scooped out past
scooped out past participle
scooping out present participle
scoops out third person singular

Morphology

scoop + out

The meaning 'to remove the inside or contents' follows directly from combining 'scoop' (to lift or remove using a scoop) with 'out' (away from the interior). This verb + particle pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Scoop out comes from the simple image of using a spoon or small tool to take the inside of something away. Imagine using a spoon to scoop seeds out of a pumpkin until it is hollow, so it means 'to remove the inside or contents'.