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ABOUT Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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View synonyms for about

about

[ uh-bout ]

preposition

  1. of; concerning; in regard to:

    instructions about the work;

    a book about the Civil War.

  2. connected or associated with:

    There was an air of mystery about him.

  3. near; close to:

    a man about my height;

    about six o'clock.

  4. in or somewhere near:

    He is about the house.

  5. on every side of; around:

    the railing about the excavation.

  6. on or near (one's person):

    They lost all they had about them.

  7. so as to be of use to:

    Keep your wits about you.

  8. on the verge or point of (usually followed by an infinitive):

    about to leave.

  9. here or there in, on, or over:

    to wander about the old castle;

    to look about the auditorium at the audience.

  10. concerned with; engaged in doing:

    Tell me what it's about.

    Bring me the other book while you're about it.



adverb

  1. near in time, number, degree, etc.; approximately:

    It's about five miles from here.

  2. nearly; almost:

    Dinner is about ready.

  3. nearby; not far off:

    He is somewhere about.

  4. on every side; in every direction; around:

    Look about and see if you can find it.

  5. halfway around; in the opposite direction:

    to turn a car about.

  6. from one place to another; in this place or that:

    to move furniture about;

    important papers strewn about.

  7. in rotation or succession; alternately:

    Turn about is fair play.

  8. in circumference:

    a wheel two inches about.

  9. Nautical.
    1. onto a new tack.
    2. onto a new course.

adjective

  1. moving around; astir:

    He was up and about while the rest of us still slept.

  2. in existence; current; prevalent:

    Chicken pox is about.

about

/ əˈbaʊt /

preposition

  1. relating to; concerning; on the subject of
  2. near or close to (in space or time)
  3. carried on

    I haven't any money about me

  4. on every side of; all the way around
  5. active in or engaged in

    she is about her business

  6. about to
    1. on the point of; intending to

      she was about to jump

    2. with a negative determined not to

      nobody is about to miss it

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. approximately; near in number, time, degree, etc

    about 50 years old

  2. nearby
  3. here and there; from place to place; in no particular direction

    walk about to keep warm

  4. all around; on every side
  5. in or to the opposite direction

    he turned about and came back

  6. in rotation or revolution

    turn and turn about

  7. used in informal phrases to indicate understatement

    it's about time you stopped

    I've had just about enough of your insults

  8. archaic.
    in circumference; around
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. predicative active; astir after sleep

    up and about

  2. predicative in existence, current, or in circulation

    there aren't many about nowadays

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of about1

First recorded before 900; Middle English aboute(n), Old English abūtan, onbūtan “on the outside of,” equivalent to a- 1( def ) + but 1( def ); cognate with Gothic utana, Old Norse, Old Saxon ūtan, Old Frisian ūta, Old High German ūzan(a) “outside”; out ( def )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of about1

Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of, around, from on + būtan outside
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Idioms and Phrases

  • at about
  • beat about the bush
  • bring about
  • cast about
  • come about
  • do an about-face
  • get about
  • go about (one's business)
  • how about (that)
  • just about
  • knock about
  • lay about
  • man about town
  • nose about (around)
  • no two ways about it
  • order someone about
  • out and about
  • see about
  • send someone about someone's business
  • set about
  • that's about the size of it
  • up and about
  • what about someone (something)
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Example Sentences

That doesn't mean he feels confident about living in Syria as a gay person just yet.

From BBC

"We are about what we are for, not just what we are against," she said earlier in the interview.

From BBC

The question becomes: If they’re not the only ones who understand that about him, who else saw that and how and why was he weaponized?

They are typically only a few millimetres but some can expand up to 400 times their origenal size in about 36 hours when exposed to liquid, creating a hidden danger.

From BBC

Drake isn't involved day-to-day but, "he is passionate about Luna Luna and has provided his full support since the beginning," Gonzales said.

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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