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."
separable
muck out
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To clean out an animal's living area by removing waste and old bedding.
In plain English
To clean up an animal's stall or pen by removing all the dirty mess.
What does "muck out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Informal, humorous) To clean a very messy room or space.
"This bedroom is a disaster — it needs mucking out properly."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move muck (animal waste/dirt) out of a space — almost completely transparent.
Actually means
To clean up an animal's stall or pen by removing all the dirty mess.
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "muck out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
stable stall barn horses pigs pen
How to conjugate "muck out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "muck out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "muck out"
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