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[ UK /ɐbˈa‍ʊt/ ]
[ US /əˈbaʊt/ ]
ADVERB
  1. used of movement to or among many different places or in no particular direction
    people were rushing about
    news gets around (or about)
    traveled around in Asia
    she sleeps around
    wandering about with no place to go
    he needs advice from someone who's been around
  2. in rotation or succession
    turn about is fair play
  3. in or to a reversed position or direction
    about face
    suddenly she turned around
  4. (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
    he's about 30 years old
    lasted approximately an hour
    I've had about all I can stand
    roughly $3,000
    some forty people came
    20 or so people were at the party
    holds 3 gallons, more or less
    weighs around a hundred pounds
    in just about a minute
    we meet about once a month
  5. (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
    the job is (just) about done
    I was near exhausted by the run
    virtually all the parties signed the contract
    most everyone agrees
    we're almost finished
    the car all but ran her down
    talked for nigh onto 2 hours
    the recording is well-nigh perfect
    he nearly fainted
    the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded
  6. all around or on all sides
    let's look about for help
    There were trees growing all around
    she looked around her
    dirty clothes lying around (or about)
  7. in the area or vicinity
    hanging around
    waited around for the next flight
    a few spectators standing about
ADJECTIVE
  1. on the move
    the whole town was astir over the incident
    up and about

How To Use about In A Sentence

  • If you wonder about ‘furphy’, as I did, here's a gloss and explanation.
  • The aircraft descended into a wetland area and had since been forgotten about as it sank below the surface. Times, Sunday Times
  • Spending on a perennial effort to expand gambling at race tracks, known as "racino," increased four-fold to about $620,000 in 2010. StarTribune.com rss feed
  • The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Iran Election Live-Blogging (Saturday June 20 Part II)
  • As I did at FIAC, I selected 18 galleries and asked their most anglophonic expert to pick an image and talk about it for under two minutes. Michael Kurcfeld: Doing Shots: The Old and the New at Paris Photo 2011 (VIDEO)
  • Moreover, Mr Webb's point about what he calls disinterested management -- that is to say, the management of banks by officers whose remuneration bears no relation to the profit made on each piece of business transacted -- is one of the matters in which English banking seems likely at least to be modified. War-Time Financial Problems
  • As he ran past, the arquebusier shouted something about Susanoo, the kami of storms, and how he was punishing them for their arrogance. Blood Ninja II
  • As a book about a nonoperational aircraft, Valkyrie will probably attract only a limited audience within the Air Force community.
  • But they have an undeniable gentleness and elephantine beauty about them, with their hanging folds of skin and ponderous outlook on life.
  • A boa made from black water mink is worth about 50 dollars, a collarette about $100,00 and a coat reaching down to the hips would cost about $250,00. Black Beaver The Trapper
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