Dictionary.com

about

[ uh-bout ]
/ əˈbaʊt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR about ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “blatherskite” mean?
a person given to voluble, empty talk.
an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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) by1 + 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. 2020

Words related to about

around, almost, nearly, roughly, nearby, through, approximately, back, backward, round, any which way, anyhow, here and there, practically, in general, apropos, regarding, touching, in relation to, in respect to

British Dictionary definitions for about

about
/ (əˈbaʊt) /

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

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.