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Definition of peter out - 2 dictionary results

pe⋅ter

1  [pee-ter]
Use peter out in a Sentence
–verb (used without object) peter out,
1. to diminish gradually and stop; dwindle to nothing: The hot water always peters out in the middle of my shower.
2. to tire; exhaust (usually used as a past participle): I'm petered out after that walk.
Origin:
1805–15, in sense “put an end to”; 1860–65 for def. 1; orig. uncert.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Idioms & Phrases

peter out

Dwindle or diminish and come to an end, as in Their enthusiasm soon petered out. The origin of this usage is unknown, but one authority suggests it may refer to the apostle Peter, whose enthusiastic support of Jesus quickly diminished so that he denied knowing him three times during the night after Jesus's arrest. [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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