thereabout
Part of speech: adv
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English ther-aboute, ther-abouten (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; surrounding it; nearby, neighbouring; here and there, throughout that place; of an action, matter, etc.: about, concerning; of an amount or distance: approximately, more or less; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms], from Old English þǣrābūtan, þǣronbūtan, from þǣr (“there”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só (“this; that”) + *-r) + abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”) (from on- (prefix meaning ‘on; upon; there; thither; to’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on; onto”)) + būtan (“just, merely, only”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep- + *úd (“away; out; outwards; upwards”))). The English word is analysable as there + about.
The word is attested earlier than thereabouts.
Inflected forms:
Senses:
gloss: About or near that place.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
gloss: About or around that date or time.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: Dinner will be ready at six-thirty or thereabout.
gloss: About or near to that condition or quality.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
gloss: Approximately that number or quantity.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, right? Yes, thereabout.
gloss: About that or those: concerning it or them.
pos: adv
tags: dated
not-comparable
examples: And they entred in, and found not the body of the Lord Jeſus. And it came to paſſe, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men ſtood by them in ſhining garments.
It cannot be denied that the devolutions of the title to the house in issue have been unusual, and are not free from challenge. In a contest betwixt legal titles, instruments of writing thereabout must often be strictly construed, and that which may be called the real intent of the makers is sometimes defeated. But this [case] does not demand a technical application of the rules of law governing the devolution of land titles. Only a contract is in issue here.
gloss: Near to that activity or situation.
pos: adv
tags: dated
figuratively
not-comparable
examples: HANCOCK, THOMAS (d. 1706?). Said to have been a tanner. Held the sequestered vicarage of St. Winnow, Corn.; ejected, 1660. Continued preaching thereabout. Signed the thanks of Cornish Ministers. Licensed, 10 or 20 June 1672, as Presbyterian, to teach in his house, parish of Morval, Corn.; the house was licensed, 22 July. From 1687 he maintained a congregation at East Looe, parish of St. Martin, two miles from Morval, and received annual grants (£10, reduced 1695 to £6) from 1690 to end of 1705.
Related words: —
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
thereabouts
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
Translations: