thereabouts
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Pronunciation: ipa: /ðɛəɹəˈbaʊts/
ipa: /ˈðɛəɹəbaʊts/
ipa: /ˈðɛɹəˌbaʊts/
ipa: /ˌðɛɹəˈbaʊts/
Etymology: The adverb is derived from Middle English there-aboutes, þare aboutes (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms], from ther (“in that place, in those places, there; on that; thither, to that place; from there, thence; at that time; thereupon; in that situation, under those circumstances; in that case, with regard to that”) (from Old English þǣr (“there”)) + aboutes (“in all directions, around”, adverb), aboutes (“in all directions from, on all sides of; near; concerned with”, preposition) (from aboute, abouten (“so as to surround; so as to cover; on the border or edge; as measured around the outside; to as to travel around something; so as to revolve about an axis or centre; aside; in all directions; in the vicinity; in connection with something; in several places; everywhere, throughout; to all or everyone; almost, approximately; concerning; in succession; so as to be or happen”, adverb), aboute, abouten (“surrounding; covering; over; upon; on the border of; in all directions; in the vicinity of, near to; in several places; everywhere, throughout; almost, approximately; concerning; engaged in; on behalf of”, preposition) (from Old English abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”)) + -s (suffix forming adverbs)); see further at thereabout. The English word is analysable as thereabout + -s (suffix forming adverbs).
The noun may result from a confusion of thereabouts with whereabouts.
The word is attested later than thereabout.
Senses: examples: text: [W]e reſolv'd to put into a ſmall River, which however had a Depth enough of Water for us, and to ſee if we could, either over Land, or by the Ship's Pinnace, come to know what Ships were in any Port thereabouts.
ref: 1719, [Daniel Defoe], The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe; […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 266:
text: Quite a few minutes would be spun out, for instance, at the smallish town of Chirk, but to me the dalliance was generally worthwhile, except in wet weather, because of the increasing beauty of the wooded hill scenery thereabouts.
ref: 1955 January, R. S. McNaught, “From the Severn to the Mersey by Great Western”, in Railway Magazine, page 18:
glosses: Synonym of thereabout:
About or near that place.
examples: text: We ſtay'd by it a quarter of an Hour or thereabouts, 'till the Powder in the Eyes, and Mouth, and Ears of the Idol blew up; and we could perceive had ſplit and deform'd the Shape; […]
ref: 1719, [Daniel Defoe], The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe; […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 338:
glosses: Synonym of thereabout:
About or around that date or time.
glosses: Synonym of thereabout:
About or near to that condition or quality.
examples: text: Fiue or ſix thouſand horſe I ſed, I will ſay true, or thereabouts ſet downe, for Ile ſpeake truth.
ref: c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 247, column 2:
glosses: Synonym of thereabout:
Approximately that number or quantity.
glosses: Synonym of thereabout:
About that; concerning that.
examples: text: Cam. [i.e., Canidus.] Our Fortune on the Sea is out of breath,
And ſinkes moſt lamentably. Had our Generall
Bin what he knew himſelfe, it had gone well:
Oh his [i.e., he] ha's giuen example for our flight,
Moſt groſſely by his owne.
Eno[barbus]. I, are you thereabouts? Why then goodnight indeede.
ref: c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene x], page 355, column 2:
english: Canidus. Our fortune [in the battle] on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been his old self, it would have gone well.
Oh, he has given us an example for our desertion,
Most grossly by his own.
Enobarbus. Ay, are you near that situation [i.e., also considering desertion]? Why, then we must be at the end indeed.
translation: Canidus. Our fortune [in the battle] on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been his old self, it would have gone well.
Oh, he has given us an example for our desertion,
Most grossly by his own.
Enobarbus. Ay, are you near that situation [i.e., also considering desertion]? Why, then we must be at the end indeed.
bold_translation_offsets: 251
270
text: Cam[illo]. I dare not know (my Lord.)
Pol[ixenes]. How, dare not? doe not? doe you know, and dare not?
Be intelligent to me, 'tis thereabouts:
For to your ſelfe, what you doe know, you muſt,
And cannot ſay, you dare not.
ref: c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 280, column 2:
text: Amid[eo]. […] [D]o not work
Upon my pity; for I feel already
My ſtout heart melts.
Hip[polito]. Oh! are you thereabouts?
ref: 1675, John Driden [i.e., John Dryden], The Rival Ladies. A Tragi-comedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene iii, page 46:
glosses: Synonym of thereabout:
Near to that activity or situation.
Related terms: —
henceafter
henceforth
henceforward
henceforwards
hencefrom
hereabout
hereabouts
hereabove
hereafter
hereafters
hereagainst
hereamong
hereanent
hereat
hereaway
herebefore
hereby
herefor
herefore
hereforth
hereforward
hereforwards
herefrom
herehence
hereinabove
hereinafter
hereinbefore
hereinbelow
hereinelsewhere
hereinsoever
hereinto
hereinunder
heremid
hereof
hereon
hereout
hereover
herethrough
herethroughout
hereto
heretofore
hereunto
hereupon
herewith
herewithal
herewithin
herewithout
hitherto
hitherunto
hitherward
hitherwards
howbeit
however
howso
howsoever
howsomedever
howsomever
thataway
thatwise
thenceafter
thenceforth
thenceforward
thenceforwards
thencefrom
thenceout
thereabout
thereabove
thereacross
thereafter
thereafters
thereagain
thereagainst
therealong
thereamong
thereamongst
thereanent
therearound
thereat
thereaway
therebefore
therebeside
therebetween
therebeyond
thereby
therever
therefor
therefore
thereforth
therefrom
therehence
thereinabove
thereinafter
thereinbefore
thereinbelow
thereinto
thereinunder
theremid
thereof
thereon
thereout
thereover
theresoever
therethrough
therethroughout
thereto
theretofore
thereunto
thereup
thereupon
therewith
therewithal
therewithin
therewithout
thisaway
thiswise
thitherinsoever
thitherto
thitherward
thitherwards
whatever
whatso
whatsoever
whatsomedever
whatsomever
whatwise
whenabout
whenabouts
whenas
whenever
whenso
whensoever
whensomever
whenceafter
whencever
whenceforth
whenceforward
whencefrom
whenceward
whencewards
whereabout
whereabouts
whereabove
whereafter
whereafters
whereagainst
wherealong
whereamong
whereamongst
whereanent
wherearound
whereas
whereat
whereaway
wherebefore
wherebeside
wherebetween
wherebeyond
whereby
wherever
wherefor
wherefore
whereforth
wherefrom
wherehence
whereinabove
whereinafter
whereinbefore
whereinbelow
whereinsoever
whereinto
whereinunder
wheremid
whereof
whereon
whereout
whereover
whereso
wheresoever
wheresomever
wherethrough
wherethroughout
whereto
wheretofore
whereunto
whereup
whereupon
wherewith
wherewithal
wherewithin
wherewithout
whitherever
whitherinsoever
whitherso
whitherto
whithertofore
whitherward
whitherwards
whyever
whyfor
whyso
whysoever
1. Scottish2. from Middle English mid3. old dialectal form