eat (a meal) out
and dine outto eat a meal at a restaurant. I like to eat a meal out every now and then. Yes, it's good to eat out and try different kinds of food. It costs a lot of money to dine out often.
eat out
to eat a meal away from home, as at a restaurant. I just love to eat out every now and then. Let's eat out tonight. I'm tired.
eat something out
1. . to eat some kind of meal or a particular food away from home, as at a restaurant. We eat fish out, but we don't cook it at home. We may eat out a meal or two, but certainly not every meal.
2. [for something or an animal] to consume the inside of something. The ants ate the inside of the pumpkin out. The ants ate out the pumpkin.