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About
Definitions
- 1 Moving around or in motion; astir. not-comparable
"out and about; up and about"
- 2 In existence; being in evidence; apparent. not-comparable
"This idea has been about for a while but has only recently become fashionable."
- 3 Near; in the vicinity or neighbourhood. not-comparable
"I had my keys just a minute ago, so they must be about somewhere."
- 1 on the move wordnet
- 1 On all sides, or in every or any direction from a point; around. not-comparable
"I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me."
- 2 Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down. not-comparable
"Bits of old machinery were lying about."
- 3 From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity. not-comparable
"walking about; rushing about; jumping about; thrashing about"
- 4 Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity. not-comparable
"messing about; fooling about; loafing about"
- 5 Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost. not-comparable
"It’s about as cold as it was last winter."
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- 6 Near; in the vicinity. not-comparable
"I looked round at the people standing about, and observed them curiously in their peculiar relation to it all."
- 7 To a reversed order, direction, or condition; half round; in (or to, or from) the opposite direction. not-comparable
"to face about; to turn oneself about"
- 8 To a reversed order, direction, or condition; half round; in (or to, or from) the opposite direction.; To the opposite tack: see go about. not-comparable
"We went about and headed offshore."
- 9 In succession, one after another. not-comparable, obsolete, rare
"When he had finished, he drew his plaid around his head, and went slowly down to the little dell, where he used every day to offer up his morning and evening prayers, and where we have often sat together on Sabbath afternoons, reading verse about with our children in the Bible."
- 10 In rotation or revolution. not-comparable, obsolete, rare
"What an Arme he has, he turn'd me about with his finger and his thumbe, as one would set up a Top."
- 11 In the course of events. not-comparable, obsolete, possibly
"to bring about, to come about"
- 12 In circuit or circumference; circularly. archaic, not-comparable
"The island was a mile about, and a third of a mile across."
- 13 By a circuitous way; circuitously. archaic, not-comparable
"God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea."
- 1 (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct wordnet
- 2 in the area or vicinity wordnet
- 3 all around or on all sides wordnet
- 4 in or to a reversed position or direction wordnet
- 5 used of movement to or among many different places or in no particular direction wordnet
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- 6 (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but wordnet
- 7 in rotation or succession wordnet
- 1 In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of; around.
"The snake was coiled about his ankle."
- 2 Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.
"Rubbish was strewn about the place."
- 3 Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.; See about to.
- 4 Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.; On the point or verge of. dialectal, obsolete
"[It] was held, that the latter requirement was fulfilled by an affidavit declaring that "the defendant was about leaving the State permanently.""
- 5 Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of.
"He talked a lot about his childhood."
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- 6 Concerned or occupied with; engaged in; intent on.
"just going about their business"
- 7 Within or in the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place.
"I can’t find my reading glasses, but they must be somewhere about the house."
- 8 On one’s person; nearby the person.
"I had no weapon about me but a stick."
- 9 On or near (one's person); attached as an attribute to; in the makeup of, or at the command of. figuratively
"He has his wits about him."
- 1 To change the course of (a ship) to the other tack; to bring (a ship) about. uncommon
"The Channel at Archer's Hope Point lies close by the Shoar, and makes such an Angle there by reason of Hog Island, that going up or down the River, let the Wind be where it will, they must there bring the contrary Tack on Board, and generally when they About the Ship as they call it, they are so nigh the Shoar, that a Man may almost fling a Finger-stone on Board."
- 2 To about-face (turn 180 degrees, like a soldier). humorous, possibly, uncommon
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:about."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), itself from be (“by”) + ūtan (“outside”). Cognate with Old Frisian abûta (“outside; except”). Adjective from Middle English about (adverb).
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), itself from be (“by”) + ūtan (“outside”). Cognate with Old Frisian abûta (“outside; except”). Adjective from Middle English about (adverb).
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), itself from be (“by”) + ūtan (“outside”). Cognate with Old Frisian abûta (“outside; except”). Adjective from Middle English about (adverb).
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), itself from be (“by”) + ūtan (“outside”). Cognate with Old Frisian abûta (“outside; except”). Adjective from Middle English about (adverb).
See also for "about"
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