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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
About \A*bout"\, preposition [OE. aboute, abouten, abuten; AS. [=a]butan, onbutan; on + butan, which is from be by + utan outward, from ut out. See {But}, {Out}.]
1. Around; all round; on every side of. "Look about you." --Shak. "Bind them about thy neck." --Prov. iii. 3.
2. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person). "Have you much money about you?" --Bulwer.
3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.
Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses. --Macaulay.
Roving still about the world. --Milton.
4. Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time, size, quantity. "To-morrow, about this time." --Exod. ix. 18. "About my stature." --Shak.
He went out about the third hour. --Matt. xx. 3.
Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.
5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on.
I must be about my Father's business. --Luke ii. 49.
6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive: On the point or verge of; going; in act of.
Paul was now aboutto open his mouth. --Acts xviii. 14.
7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. "To treat about thy ransom." --Milton.
She must have her way about Sarah. --Trollope.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
'Tis time to look about. --Shak.
2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across.
3. Here and there; around; in one place and another.
Wandering about from house to house. --1 Tim. v. 13.
4. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, etc.; as, about as cold; about as high; -- also of quantity, number, time. "There fell . . . about three thousand men." --Exod. xxii. 28.
5. To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite direction; on the opposite tack; as, to face about; to turn one's self about.
{To bring about}, to cause to take place; to accomplish.
{To come about}, to occur; to take place. See under {Come}.
{To go about}, {To set about}, to undertake; to arrange; to prepare. "Shall we set about some revels?" --Shak.
{Round about}, in every direction around.
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
adverb
1: (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct; "lasted approximately an hour"; "in just about a minute"; "he's about 30 years old"; "I've had about all I can stand"; "we meet about once a month"; "some forty people came"; "weighs around a hundred pounds"; "roughly $3,000"; "holds 3 gallons, more or less"; "20 or so people were at the party" [syn: {approximately}, {about}, {close to}, {just about}, {some}, {roughly}, {more or less}, {around}, {or so}]
2: all around or on all sides; "dirty clothes lying around (or about)"; "let's look about for help"; "There were trees growing all around"; "she looked around her" [syn: {about}, {around}]
3: in the area or vicinity; "a few spectators standing about"; "hanging around"; "waited around for the next flight" [syn: {about}, {around}]
4: used of movement to or among many different places or in no particular direction; "wandering about with no place to go"; "people were rushing about"; "news gets around (or about)"; "traveled around in Asia"; "he needs advice from someone who's been around"; "she sleeps around" [syn: {about}, {around}]
5: in or to a reversed position or direction; "about face"; "suddenly she turned around" [syn: {about}, {around}]
6: in rotation or succession; "turn about is fair play"
7: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees" [syn: {about}, {almost}, {most}, {nearly}, {near}, {nigh}, {virtually}, {well-nigh}]
adjective
1: on the move; "up and about"; "the whole town was astir over the incident" [syn: {about(p)}, {astir(p)}]
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Definitions retrieved from the Open Source DICT Webster's English and WordNet 3.0 dictionaries. Click here for database copyright information.
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