bout

American  

[bout] / baʊt /

noun

1. a contest or trial of strength, as of boxing.

   Synonyms:

   encounter, fray, match

2. period; session; spell.

   a bout of illness.

3. a turn at work or any action.

4. a going and returning across a field, as in mowing or reaping.

---

bout British  

/ baʊt /

noun

1. 1. a period of time spent doing something, such as drinking

   2. a period of illness

2. a contest or fight, esp a boxing or wrestling match

---

Etymology

Origin of bout

1535–45; variant of obsolete bought bend, turn, derivative of bow bow ¹; bight

Example Sentences

The mice without the sensor scratched less frequently, but each bout of scratching lasted much longer than in the other group.

From The Wall Street Journal

It will be the culmination of 11 days of competition which have included controversy, drama and intrigue... as well as the odd bout of boredom.

From BBC

The two men fought in a controversial Netflix-backed bout in December, where Joshua made hard work of defeating his vastly less accomplished opponent.

From Barron's

He has continued to appear in exhibitions, including a victory over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024, as well as bouts with reality television stars and YouTube fighters.

From Barron's

The financial markets, too, will of course have to grapple with yet another bout of uncertainty.

From BBC

Related Words

• battle
• boxing match
• competition
• contest
• encounter
• match
• round
• struggle