about: Meaning and Definition of
a•bout
Pronunciation: (u-bout'), [key]
— prep.
- of; concerning; in regard to: instructions about the work; a book about the Civil War.
- connected or associated with: There was an air of mystery about him.
- near; close to: a man about my height; about six o'clock.
- in or somewhere near: He is about the house.
- on every side of; around: the railing about the excavation.
- on or near (one's person): They lost all they had about them.
- so as to be of use to: Keep your wits about you.
- on the verge or point of (usually fol. by an infinitive): about to leave.
- here or there; in or on: to wander about the old castle.
- concerned with; engaged in doing: Tell me what it's about. Bring me the other book while you're about it.
—adv.
- near in time, number, degree, etc.; approximately: It's about five miles from here.
- nearly; almost: Dinner is about ready.
- nearby; not far off: He is somewhere about.
- on every side; in every direction; around: Look about and see if you can find it.
- halfway around; in the opposite direction: to turn a car about.
- from one place to another; in this place or that: to move furniture about; important papers strewn about.
- in rotation or succession; alternately: Turn about is fair play.
- in circumference: a wheel two inches about.
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- onto a new tack.
- onto a new course.
—adj.
- moving around; astir: He was up and about while the rest of us still slept.
- in existence; current; prevalent: Chicken pox is about.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.