[syn: about, almost, most, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
About \A*bout"\, prep. [OE. aboute, abouten, abuten; AS.
[=a]butan, 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]
Note: 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]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
About \A*bout"\, 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]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
about
adv 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]
adj 1: on the move; "up and about"; "the whole town was astir
over the incident" [syn: about(p), astir(p)]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
122 Moby Thesaurus words for "about":
again, aimlessly, all but, all over, all round, almost,
along toward, alongside, anent, any which way, anyhow, anywise,
approximately, apropos, apropos of, around, as for, as regards,
as respects, as to, at close quarters, at hand, at random, back,
back and forth, backward, beside, carelessly, casually, circa,
circuitously, close, close about, close at hand, close by,
close to, close upon, concerning, encircling, everywhere,
far and wide, fast by, haphazard, haphazardly, hard, hard by,
helter-skelter, here and there, hereabout, hereabouts,
in all directions, in connection with, in point of, in re,
in reference to, in regard to, in relation to, in relation with,
in respect to, in reverse, in spitting distance, in the air,
in the neighborhood, in the vicinity, involving, just about,
more or less, most, much, near, near at hand, near enough to,
near upon, nearabout, nearabouts, nearby, nearly, nigh, nigh about,
not far, not far from, of, on, on every side, only a step,
pertaining to, pertinent to, plus ou moins, practically, prevalent,
random, randomly, re, referring to, regarding, relating to,
relative to, respecting, roughly, round, round about, some,
somewhere about, speaking of, surrounding, thereabout, thereabouts,
through, throughout, to and fro, touching, up and down, upon,
upwards of, well-nigh, with, with regard to, with respect to,
within call, within earshot, within hearing, within reach