about
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈbaʊ̯t/
ipa: /əˈbaʊ̯t/
note: Canadian raising
ipa: [əˈbʌʊ̯t]
note: Canadian raising
ipa: [əˈbɐʊ̯t]
note: Canadian raising
ipa: [əˈboʊ̯t]
note: Nova Scotia
ipa: [əˈbɵu̯t]
ipa: [əˈbɛʊ̯t]
ipa: /əˈbɛʊ̯t/
note: Local Dublin
ipa: /əˈbɛʊ̯/
note: Local Dublin
ipa: [əˈbɛʊ̯ʔ]
ipa: /əˈbuːt/
rhymes: -aʊt
Forms: form: abouts
form: abouting
form: abouted
form: abouted
form: aboot
form: abowt
form: a.
form: ab.
form: abt.
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).
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1694, John Martyn (Londres), James Allestry (Londres), Henry Oldenburg, Philosophical Transactions, Giving Some Accompt of the Present Undertakings, Studies and Labors of the Ingenious in Many Considerable Parts of the World, page 984:
text: Mr. Whalen:] they had "abouted ship." They had changed the course to put her into the wind—
ref: 1937, United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Amending the Merchant Marine Act of 1936: Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce and the Committee on Education and Labor, United States Senate, Seventy-fifth Congress, Second[-third] Session, on S. 3078, a Bill to Amend the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, and for Other Purposes ..., page 456:
text: ... and we were abouting ship every watch or so.
ref: 1950, Sea Breezes:
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: To change the course of (a ship) to the other tack; to bring (a ship) about.
examples: For quotations using this term, see Citations:about.
glosses: To about-face (turn 180 degrees, like a soldier).
Derived terms: sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about east
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about face
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about-face
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about me
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: aboutness
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about one's ears
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about one's person
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about page
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about ship
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about sledge
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about-sledge
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about that life
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about time
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about-turn
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: about turn
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: along about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: around about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: arse about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: arse about face
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: arse about tit
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: ask me one about sport
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: balls about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bally about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bandy about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bang about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bash about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bat about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: be about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: be all about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: beat about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: beat about the bush
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bonce about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: boss about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: brace about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bring about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bucket about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: bugger about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: buggerise about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: buzz about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: cast about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: clown about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: come about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: cut about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: dart about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: dick about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: discuss about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: don't even think about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: doss about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: eastabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: facts don't care about your feelings
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: faff about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fall about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fall about the place
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fanny about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fart about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: ferret about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fetch about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fiddle about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: flail about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fluff about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fool about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: footle about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: forget about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: forget about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: fuck about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: futt about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: gentleman about town
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: get about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: give about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: give someone something to think about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: go about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: go about one's business
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: go about one's day
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: go about to
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: gone north about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: green about the gills
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: hang about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: haulabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: have a way about one
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: have one's mind about one
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: have one's wits about one
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: hedge about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: hereabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: hereabouts
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: hop about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: horse about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: how about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: how about no
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: how about that
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: how about them apples
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: how's about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: I don't know about that
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: I don't want to talk about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: it doesn't matter what they say about you as long as they spell your name right
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: it's about time
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: jump about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: just about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: keep on about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: keep one's wits about one
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: kickabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: kick about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: knock about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: knock-about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: know about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: know beans about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: know what one is about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: lark about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: layabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: lay about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: laze about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: left-about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: loaf about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: loll about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: make no bones about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: man about town
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: man-about-town
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: mess about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: mill about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: monkey about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: mope about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: move about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: much ado about nothing
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: muck about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: nearabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: nearabouts
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: nearbout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: no bones about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: nose about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: not bear thinking about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: nothing about us without us
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: nothing to write home about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: not make any bones about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: not worth writing home about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: no two ways about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: on about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: on or about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: order about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: out and about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: piss about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: play about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: poke about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: potter about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: prat about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: pull about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: push about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: put about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: put it about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: put oneself about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: putter about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: raceabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: rattle about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: ready about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: right-about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: right-about-face
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: roll about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: root about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: roundabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: round about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: roustabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: run about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: run about with
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: screw about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: a man about a dog
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: a man about a horse
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: send about one's business
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: set about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: shift about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: shove about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: sit about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: sling about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: slob about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: something to write home about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: sounds about white
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: splash about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: stirabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: tack about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: talk about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: talk-about-able
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: talk about the weather
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: talked about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: tearabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: tell me about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: that's about the size of it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: that's what I'm talking about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: thenabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: thereabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: thereabouts
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: think about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: thrash about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: throw about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: time about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: tit about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: tourabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: to write home about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: turn about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: turnabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: turn-about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: turn about is fair play
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: turn and turn about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: twat about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: up and about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: walk about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: walkabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: walking-about money
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: westabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: what about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: what about the children
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: what someone is about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: wheel about
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: whenabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: whereabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: whereabouts
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: while one is about it
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: whirlabout
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: woman about town
sense: terms derived from about (any part of speech)
word: you don't know what you're talking about