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muck out

B2 neutral separable both
In simple words

To clean up an animal's stall or pen by removing all the dirty mess.

Literal meaning: To move muck (animal waste/dirt) out of a space — almost completely transparent.

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

To clean out a stable, pen, or stall by removing animal waste and soiled bedding.

"She mucked out the stables every morning before breakfast."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 idiomatic informal

(Informal, humorous) To clean a very messy room or space.

"This bedroom is a disaster — it needs mucking out properly."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Primarily used in British English in agricultural and equestrian contexts. The object can be the animal (muck out the horses) or the place (muck out the stables). Occasionally used humorously for cleaning a very dirty room.

Commonly used with

stable stall barn horses pigs pen

Forms

Base
muck out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mucks out
he/she/it
Past simple
mucked out
yesterday
Past participle
mucked out
have + pp
-ing form
mucking out
continuous

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