This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
about
[ uh-bout ]
/ ÉËbaÊt /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
preposition
adverb
adjective
moving around; astir: He was up and about while the rest of us still slept.
in existence; current; prevalent: Chicken pox is about.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Origin of about
before 900; Middle English aboute(n), Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of (a-a-1 + būtan outside (see but1, but2), equivalent to b(e) by + ūtan), cognate with Gothic utana,Old Norse, Old Saxon ūtan,Old Frisian ūta,Old High German ūzan(a) outside; see out; cf. above, abaft for formation
Words nearby about
aboudikro, abought, Aboukir Bay, aboulia, abound, about, about face, about ship, about time, about to, about turn
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use about in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for about
about
/ (ÉËbaÊt) /
preposition
adverb
adjective
(predicative) active; astir after sleepup and about
(predicative) in existence, current, or in circulationthere aren't many about nowadays
Word Origin for about
Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of, around, from on + būtan outside
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with about
about
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.