The word "掏出" is formed by combining the verb "掏", which denotes the action of digging or scooping with the hand, with the directional complement "出", which indicates movement outward or exiting. This combination results in a compound verb where "掏" specifies the manual action of retrieving, and "出" clarifies that the retrieval involves bringing something out, thus giving the word its meaning of "to take out" or "to pull out".