about Hear it!

about definition

about (ə bo̵ut)

adverb

  1. on every side; all around look about
  2. here and there; in all directions travel about
  3. in circumference; around the outside ten miles about
  4. near standing somewhere about
  5. in the opposite direction; to a reversed position turn it about
  6. in succession or rotation play fair—turn and turn about
  7. nearly; approximately about four years old
  8. Informal all but; almost about ready

Etymology: ME aboute(n) < OE onbūtan, around < on, on + be, by + ūtan, outside < ūt, out: all senses develop from the sense of “around”

adjective

  1. astir; on the move he is up and about again
  2. in the vicinity; prevalent typhoid is about
    1. ready; likely immediately: followed by an infinitive I was about to speak
    2. willing or inclined: used with not and an infinitive I'm not about to exercise regularly

  1. around; on all sides of
  2. here and there in; everywhere in rambling about the town
  3. near to in time or space born about 1960, keeping my keys about me
  4. concerned with; attending to go about your business
  5. on the subject of; concerning a book about ships
  6. in connection with; pertaining to the most interesting thing about her
about Idioms

be what something is all about

Informal to be the true purpose of or reason for something

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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