about

English Online Dictionary. What means about‎? What does about mean?

English

Alternative forms

• (archaic) abowt; (abbreviation) a., (abbreviation) ab.,* (abbreviation) abt.

Etymology

Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) +‎ būtan (“outside of”), from be (“by”) +‎ ūtan (“outside”).

Adjective from Middle English about (adverb).

Pronunciation

• (US, England) IPA^(key): /əˈbaʊt/
• (Canada, Scotland) IPA^(key): /əˈbʌʊt/, [əˈbɐʊt], [əˈboʊt]
• (Canada, Ireland, Virginia) IPA^(key): /əˈbɛʊt/
• Rhymes: -aʊt
• Hyphenation: about

Preposition

about

1. In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of. [from before 1150]
   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Proverbs, iii, 3

     Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
2. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout. [from ca. 1150–1350]

   Rubbish was strewn about the place.

   The children were running about the room.

   He was well known about town.
3. Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.
   1. (with 'to' and verb infinitive) See about to.
   2. (with present participle, obsolete or dialect) On the point or verge of.
4. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of; to affect. [from ca. 1150–1350]
   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Well, let’s not talk about yesterday.

   Synonyms: apropos, as for; see also Thesaurus:about

5. Concerned with; engaged in; intent on. [from ca. 1150–1350]

   to be about one's business

   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Luke, ii, 49

     And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

   • 2013 March 14, Parks and Recreation, season 5, episode 16, Bailout:

     RON: And I'll have the number 8.

     WAITER: That's a party platter, it serves 12 people.

     RON: I know what I'm about, son.

   (Chester) Have you much hay about? = Have you much in the process of making?

   (Chester) "What's Mary doin'?" "Oh ! oo's about th' butter." = "What's Mary doing?" "Oh, she's making the butter.

6. Within or in the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place. [from ca. 1350–1470]

   I can't find my reading glasses, but they must be somewhere about the house.

   John's in the garden, probably somewhere about the woodshed.

7. On one's person; nearby the person. [from ca. 1350–1470]

   I had no weapon about me but a stick.
8. (figurative) In or near, as in mental faculties or (literally) in the possession of; under the control of; at one's command; in one's makeup. [from ca. 1350–1470]

Usage notes

• (Indicates that something will happen very soon): In modern English, always followed by an infinitive that begins with to ("I am about to bathe"); see about to. In the past, it was possible to instead follow the about with the present participle ("I am about swimming"), but this format is no longer used or widely understood.
• (concerning): Used as a function word to indicate what is dealt with as the object of thought, feeling, or action.

Translations

Adverb

about (not comparable)

1. On all sides; around. [from before 1150]

   I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me.
2. Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down. [from before 1150]

   Bits of old machinery were lying about.

3. From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity.

   walking about;  rushing about;  jumping about;  thrashing about

   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, 1 Timothy, v,13,

     And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
4. Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity.

   messing about;  fooling about;  loafing about

5. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost. [from before 1150]
   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Matthew, xx, 3,

     And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace

   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Exodus, ix, 18

     Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

   • 1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Exodus, xxxii,28:

     And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
6. Near; in the vicinity. [from ca. 1350–1470]
7. To a reversed order; half round; facing in the opposite direction; from a contrary point of view. [from ca. 1350–1470]
   1. (nautical) To the opposite tack: see go about. [from late 15th c.]

8. (obsolete or rare) In succession; one after another; in the course of events. [from before 1150]
   • 1818, James Hogg, published in The Scots Magazine, Vol. 86, p. 218, "On the Life and Writings of James Hogg" [1] [Quoted in the OED]

     When he had finished, he drew his plaid around his head, and went slowly down to the little dell, where he used every day to offer up his morning and evening prayers, and where we have often sat together on Sabbath afternoons, reading verse about with our children in the Bible.

9. (archaic) In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; in circumference. [from ca. 1350–1470]

Synonyms

• (many senses): around

Translations

Adjective

about (not comparable)

1. Moving around; astir.
2. In existence; being in evidence; apparent.
   • 2006, Great Britain Parliament: House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Energy: Meeting With Malcolm Wicks MP,

     Is not this sudden interest in capturing CO₂ — and it has been about for a little while — simply another hidey-hole for the government to creep into?

3. Near; in the vicinity or neighbourhood.

   I had my keys just a minute ago, so they must be about somewhere.

   Watch out, there's a thief about.

Synonyms

• (moving around): around, active, mobile, astir
• (in existence): around

Derived terms

See also: Category:English phrasal verbs with particle (about)

References

• “about”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “about”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Touba, Tuoba, U-boat

Finnish

Alternative forms

• öbaut

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English about

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈøbɑut/, [ˈø̞bɑ̝ut̪]
• IPA^(key): /ˈəbɑu̯t/, [ˈəbɑ̝u̯t̪]
• IPA^(key): /ˈɑbɑut/, [ˈɑ̝bɑ̝ut̪]

Adverb

about (slang)

1. about (around, approximately, roughly)

   Synonyms: noin, suunnilleen

French

Noun

about m (plural abouts)

1. (technical) the extremity of a metallic or wooden element or piece

Further reading

• “about”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• bouta, tabou