About Definition

about

English

Alternative forms

• abowt (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English aboute, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan (“on, about, around, round about, on the outside”), from on (“on”) + būtan (“outside”); equivalent to on + be- + outen. More at but, outen.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈbaʊt/, X-SAMPA: /@"baUt/
• (US) also IPA: /əˈbæʊt/
• (Canada) IPA: [əˈbʌʊt], X-SAMPA: [@"bVut]
  • (Ontario) IPA: [əˈbɛʊt], X-SAMPA: [@"bEUt]

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (CAN)

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• Audio (CAN)

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• Rhymes: -aʊt
• Hyphenation: a‧bout

Preposition

about

1. Around; all round; outside or on every side of.
   • c.1604-1605, William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well,

     So look about you; know you any here?

   • 1769 , King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Proverbs, iii, 3,

     Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

2. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person).
   • 1837 Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Ernest Maltravers: Volume 1,

     At this assurance the traveller rose, and approached Alice softly. He drew away her hands from her face, when she said gently, "Have you much money about you?"

     "Oh the mercenary baggage!" said the traveller to himself; and then replied aloud "Why, pretty one? Do you sell your kisses so high, then?"

3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.
   • 1671, John Milton, Paradise Regained,

     That heard the Adversary, who, roving still / About the world, at that assembly famed ...

   • 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The history of England from the accession of James the Second,

     He had been known, during several years, as a small poet; and some of the most savage lampoons which were handed about the coffeehouses were imputed to him.

4. (Discuss⁽⁺⁾ this sense) Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time, size, quantity.
   • 1769 , King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Exodus, ix, 18,

     Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

   • c.1590-1591, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona,

     Therefore I know she is about my height.

   • 1769 , King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Matthew, xx, 3,

     And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace

     (Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.)

5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on.
   • 1769 , King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Luke, ii, 49,

     And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

6. (before a to-infinitive) On the point or verge of; going; in act of.

   The show is about to start.

   I am not about to admit to your crime.

   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Acts of the Apostles, xviii, 14,

     And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of.

   He knew more about what was occurring than anyone.

   • 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes,

     I already have made way / To some Philistian lords, with whom to treat / About thy ransom.

   • 1860, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage,

     'I'll tell you what, Fanny: she must have her way about Sarah Thompson. You can see her to-morrow and tell her so.

Adverb

about (not comparable)

1. On all sides; around.
   • 1599, Robert Greene, The Comical History of Alphonsus King of Aragon, III-ii,

     Why, then, I see, ‘tis time to look about, / When every boy Alphonsus dares control.

2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside

   a mile about, and a third of a mile across.

   • 1886, Duncan Keith, A history of Scotland: civil and ecclesiastical from the earliest times to the death of David I, 1153, Volume 1,

     Nothing daunted, the fleet put to sea, and after sailing about the island for some time, a landing was effected in the west of Munster.

3. Here and there; around; in one place and another.
   • 1769 King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, 1 Timothy, v,13,

     And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

4. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, etc.

   about as cold; about as high; -- also of quantity, number, time.

   • 1769 King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Exodus, xxxii,28,

     And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

5. To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite direction; on the opposite tack

   to face about; to turn one's self about.

   • 1888, Horatio Alger, The Errand Boy,

     Mr. Carter, whose back had been turned, turned about and faced his niece.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Adjective

about (not comparable)

1. Moving around.

   out and about; up and about

   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet,

     'John, I have observed that you are often out and about of nights, sometimes as late as half past seven or eight. ...'

2. In existence.
   • 1975, IPC Building & Contract Journals Ltd, Highways & road construction, Volume 43,

     To my mind, transportation engineering is similar to flying in the 1930s — it has been about for some time but it has taken the present economic jolt to shake it out of its infancy, in the same way that the war started the development of flying to its current stage.

   • 2005, IDG Communications, Digit, Issues 89-94,

     Although it has been about for some time now, I like the typeface Sauna.

   • 2006, Great Britain Parliament: House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Energy: Meeting With Malcolm Wicks MP,

     Is not this sudden interest in capturing CO₂ — and it has been about for a little while — simply another hidey-hole for the government to creep into?

Synonyms

• (moving around): around, active, mobile, astir

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: man · upon · may · #71: about · its · time · only

Anagrams

• U-boat

French

Noun

about m. (plural abouts)

1. (technical) The extremity of a metallic or wooden element or piece.

Anagrams

• bouta, tabou

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