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79 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]


  About \A*bout"\, prep. [OE. aboute, abouten, abuten; AS.
     [=a]butan, onbutan; on + butan, which is from be by + utan
     outward, from ut out. See But, Out.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Around; all round; on every side of. ``Look about you.''
        --Shak. ``Bind them about thy neck.'' --Prov. iii. 3.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or
        proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person).
        ``Have you much money about you?'' --Bulwer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in
        various directions; here and there in; to and fro in;
        throughout.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses.
                                                    --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Roving still about the world.         --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time,
        size, quantity. ``To-morrow, about this time.'' --Exod.
        ix. 18. ``About my stature.'' --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He went out about the third hour.     --Matt. xx. 3.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I must be about my Father's business. --Luke ii. 49.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive: On the point or
        verge of; going; in act of.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Paul was now aboutto open his mouth.  --Acts xviii.
                                                    14.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. ``To
        treat about thy ransom.'' --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              She must have her way about Sarah.    --Trollope.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]


  About \A*bout"\, adv.
     1. On all sides; around.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              'Tis time to look about.              --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the
        outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Here and there; around; in one place and another.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Wandering about from house to house.  --1 Tim. v.
                                                    13.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in
        quality, manner, degree, etc.; as, about as cold; about as
        high; -- also of quantity, number, time. ``There fell . .
        . about three thousand men.'' --Exod. xxii. 28.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite
        direction; on the opposite tack; as, to face about; to
        turn one's self about.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     To bring about, to cause to take place; to accomplish.
  
     To come about, to occur; to take place. See under Come.
        
  
     To go about, To set about, to undertake; to arrange; to
        prepare. ``Shall we set about some revels?'' --Shak.
  
     Round about, in every direction around.
        [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]


  About \A*bout"\, prep. [OE. aboute, abouten, abuten; AS.
     [=a]butan, onbutan; on + butan, which is from be by + utan
     outward, from ut out. See But, Out.]
     1. Around; all round; on every side of. ``Look about you.''
        --Shak. ``Bind them about thy neck.'' --Prov. iii. 3.
  
     2. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or
        proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person).
        ``Have you much money about you?'' --Bulwer.
  
     3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in
        various directions; here and there in; to and fro in;
        throughout.
  
              Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses.
                                                    --Macaulay.
  
              Roving still about the world.         --Milton.
  
     4. Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time,
        size, quantity. ``To-morrow, about this time.'' --Exod.
        ix. 18. ``About my stature.'' --Shak.
  
              He went out about the third hour.     --Matt. xx. 3.
  
     Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.
  
     5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on.
  
              I must be about my Father's business. --Luke ii. 49.
  
     6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive: On the point or
        verge of; going; in act of.
  
              Paul was now aboutto open his mouth.  --Acts xviii.
                                                    14.
  
     7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. ``To
        treat about thy ransom.'' --Milton.
  
              She must have her way about Sarah.    --Trollope.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]


  About \A*bout"\, adv.
     1. On all sides; around.
  
              'Tis time to look about.              --Shak.
  
     2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the
        outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across.
  
     3. Here and there; around; in one place and another.
  
              Wandering about from house to house.  --1 Tim. v.
                                                    13.
  
     4. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in
        quality, manner, degree, etc.; as, about as cold; about as
        high; -- also of quantity, number, time. ``There fell . .
        . about three thousand men.'' --Exod. xxii. 28.
  
     5. To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite
        direction; on the opposite tack; as, to face about; to
        turn one's self about.
  
     To bring about, to cause to take place; to accomplish.
  
     To come about, to occur; to take place. See under Come.
        
  
     To go about, To set about, to undertake; to arrange; to
        prepare. ``Shall we set about some revels?'' --Shak.
  
     Round about, in every direction around.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 : [ wn ]


  about
       adj : on the move; "up and about"; "the whole town was astir over
             the incident" [syn: about(p), astir(p)]
       adv 1: (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct;
              "lasted approximately an hour"; "in just about a
              minute"; "he's about 30 years old"; "I've had about
              all I can stand"; "we meet about once a month"; "some
              forty people came"; "weighs around a hundred pounds";
              "roughly $3,000"; "holds 3 gallons, more or less"; "20
              or so people were at the party" [syn: approximately,
               close to, just about, some, roughly, more or
              less, around, or so]
       2: all around or on all sides; "dirty clothes lying around (or
          about)"; "let's look about for help"; "There were trees
          growing all around"; "she looked around her" [syn: around]
       3: in the area or vicinity; "a few spectators standing about";
          "hanging around"; "waited around for the next flight"
          [syn: around]
       4: to or among many different places or in no particular
          direction; "wandering about with no place to go"; "people
          were rushing about"; "news gets around (or about)";
          "traveled around in Asia"; "he needs advice from someone
          who's been around"; "she sleeps around" [syn: around]
       5: in or to a reversed position or direction; "about face";
          "brought the ship about"; "suddenly she turned around"
          [syn: around]
       6: in rotation or succession; "turn about is fair play"
       7: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite
          accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for
          `nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for
          `almost'; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was
          almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost
          finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly
          fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording
          is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed
          the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most
          everyone agrees" [syn: just about, almost, most, all
          but, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh]

From Greek Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-el-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     Αγγλικά adv.
     1 περίπου, σχεδόν, κανένας
     2 όπου να 'ναι, τριγύρω, εδώ κι εκεί, κοντά
     Αγγλικά n.
     1 μεταβολή
     2 αναστροφή, μεταστροφή, στροφή 180 μοιρών
     Αγγλικά prep.
     1 μεταβολή
     2 αναστροφή, μεταστροφή, στροφή 180 μοιρών

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     Finnish adv.
     (lb fi slang) #English (gloss: around, approximately, roughly)
     French n.
     (lb fr technical) the extremity of a metallic or wooden element or
  piece

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     a.
     1 Moving around; astir.
     2 In existence; being in evidence; apparent.
     adv.
     On all sides; around. (from before 1150<ref name=SOED/>)
     prep.
     In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of.
  (from before 1150)<ref name=SOED/>

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     Finnish adv.
     (lb fi slang) #English (gloss: around, approximately, roughly)
     French n.
     (lb fr technical) the extremity of a metallic or wooden element or
  piece

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     Finnish adv.
     (lb fi slang) #English (gloss: around, approximately, roughly)
     French n.
     (lb fr technical) the extremity of a metallic or wooden element or
  piece

From Finnish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-fi-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     Englanti adv.
     1 noin, suunnilleen
     2 ympäri, ympärilleen
     3 ympäri, siellä täällä
     4 ympäri, toiseen suuntaan, vastasuuntaan
     5 ''to be ~ to + inf.'' olla (juuri) tekemäisillään jtk
     Englanti prep.
     1 -sta, -stä (''jotakin koskeva'')
     2 ympäri, ympärilleen
     3 läheisyydessä, tienoolla, tienovilla
     4 mukana
     5 lähellä, lähes, ilmaisemassa summittaista aikaa tai paikkaa

From Swedish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-sv-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  about
     Engelska adv.
     1 omkring, runtomkring
     2 nästan, ungefär
     Engelska prep.
     i närheten av

From English-Afrikaans FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 : [ freedict:eng-afr ]


  about /ɐbˈaʊt/
  1. belangende
  2. oor, van
  3. by benadering, omtrent, so, sowat

From English-Arabic FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.6.3 : [ freedict:eng-ara ]


  About /ɐbˈaʊt/
  1. تقريبًا
  2. حوالي
  3. حول
  4. زهاء
  5. عن

From English-български език FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-bul ]


  about //əˈbaʊt// //əˈbɛʊt// //əˈbʌʊt// /[əˈboʊt]/ /[əˈbɐʊt]/ 
  1. около, приблизително
  2. за
  concerning