shell out

verb

1. informal.
   adverb to pay out or hand over (money)

Word History and Origins

Origin of shell out¹

C19: from shell (in the sense: to remove from a pod or (figuratively) a purse)

Idioms and Phrases

Pay, hand over, as in We had to shell out $1,000 for auto repairs . This expression transfers taking a seed such as a pea or nut out of its pod or shell to taking money out of one's pocket. [ Colloquial ; c. 1800]

Example Sentences

The high fees can trap renters earning lower or average wages in apartments for years, unable to shell out the cost of an $18,000 gold Cartier bracelet simply to move apartments.

From Salon

He said: "The nationalists’ broken promises mean taxpayers will need to shell out millions more, not just on the Tomatin-Moy section but doubtless on all other stretches too."

From BBC

The parties have already shelled out or reserved nearly $400 million on ads for Ohio's Senate race as of Sept. 9, according to Axios, with that number likely to climb over the next six weeks.

From Salon

Rather than ride the 10 or 20 miles home, they look for small pockets of shade in parks and plazas, or shell out for a coffee or sandwich to take advantage of eateries' indoor seating.

From Salon

The San Gabriel mother of six shells out hundreds of dollars every summer to get her four school-aged kids ready for the school year with new supplies, clothes and shoes.

From Los Angeles Times