prep. [ OE. aboute, abouten, abuten; AS. ābutan, onbutan; on + butan, which is from be by + utan outward, from ut out. See But, Out. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Around; all round; on every side of. “Look about you.” Shak. “Bind them about thy neck.” Prov. iii. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Roving still about the world. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time, size, quantity. “To-morrow, about this time.” Exod. ix. 18. “About my stature.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

He went out about the third hour. Matt. xx. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This use passes into the adverbial sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on. [ 1913 Webster ]

I must be about my Father's business. Luke ii. 49. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive: On the point or verge of; going; in act of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Paul was now aboutto open his mouth. Acts xviii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. “To treat about thy ransom.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

She must have her way about Sarah. Trollope. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. On all sides; around. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis time to look about. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Here and there; around; in one place and another. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wandering about from house to house. 1 Tim. v. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The largest hammer used by smiths. Weale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A going out of the way; a digression. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A gadder [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bargelike vessel with steel hull, large hatchways, and coal transporters, for coaling war vessels from its own hold or from other colliers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ } adv. 1. About this place; in this vicinity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Concerning this. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Naut.) A small yacht, generally from fifteen to twenty-five feet in length, having a mainsail and a jib; a sloop with a simplified rig and no bowsprit. All knockabouts have ballast and either a keel or centerboard. The original type was twenty-one feet in length. The next larger type is called a raceabout. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + WordNet 1.5 ]

2. A knockabout performer or performance. [ Theat. Slang ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. A man hired on a sheep station to do odd jobs. [ Colloq., Australia ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. 1. Marked by knocking about or roughness. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Of noisy and violent character; marked by farce, pratfalls, and horseplay; as, knockabout comedy. [ Theat. Slang ]
Syn. -- boisterous, slapstick. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. Characterized by, or suitable for, knocking about, or traveling or wandering hither and thither; suitable for use in rough activity; suited for everyday use; -- used especially of clothing.
Syn. -- casual, everyday. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. That does odd jobs; -- said of a class of hands or laborers on a sheep station. [ Collog., Australia ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A person who does no work.
Syn. -- idler, loafer, do-nothing, bum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F., from Pg. marabuto, Ar. morābit. Cf. Maravedi. ] 1. A Muslim saint; especially, one who claims to work cures supernaturally. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The marabou{ 1 }. [ PJC ]

n. (Naut.) A small sloop-rigged racing yacht carrying about six hundred square feet of sail, distinguished from a knockabout by having a short bowsprit. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Right, adv. + about, adv. ] A turning directly about by the right, so as to face in the opposite direction; also, the quarter directly opposite; as, to turn to the right-about. [ 1913 Webster ]

To send to the right-about, to cause to turn toward the opposite point or quarter; -- hence, of troops, to cause to turn and retreat. [ Colloq. ] Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Circuitous; going round; indirect; as, roundabout speech. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have taken a terrible roundabout road. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Encircling; enveloping; comprehensive. “Large, sound, roundabout sense.” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A large horizontal wheel or frame, commonly with wooden horses, etc., on which children ride; a merry-go-round; a carousel. [ British ] Smart. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. A dance performed in a circle. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A short, close jacket worn by boys, sailors, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A state or scene of constant change, or of recurring labor and vicissitude. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. a traffic circle. [ Chiefly British ] [ PJC ]

n. The quality of being roundabout; circuitousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] A laborer, especially a deck hand, on a river steamboat, who moves the cargo, loads and unloads wood, and the like; in an opprobrious sense, a shiftless vagrant who lives by chance jobs. [ Western U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A dish formed of oatmeal boiled in water to a certain consistency and frequently stirred, or of oatmeal and dripping mixed together and stirred about in a pan; a hasty pudding. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ The latter spelling is less proper, but more commonly used. ] 1. Near that place. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Near that number, degree, or quantity; nearly; as, ten men, or thereabouts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Five or six thousand horse . . . or thereabouts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some three months since, or thereabout. Suckling. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Concerning that; about that. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

What will ye dine? I will go thereabout. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

They were much perplexed thereabout. Luke xxiv. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. About where; near what or which place; -- used interrogatively and relatively; as, whereabouts did you meet him? [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this sense, whereabouts is the common form. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Concerning which; about which. “The object whereabout they are conversant.” Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The place where a person or thing is; as, they did not know his whereabouts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A puzzling notice of thy whereabout. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Something that whirls or turns about in a rapid manner; a whirligig. [ 1913 Webster ]