From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
about
adj : on the move; "up and about"; "the whole town was astir over
the incident" [syn: {about(p)}, {astir(p)}]
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,
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:
around]
3: in the area or vicinity; "a few spectators standing about";
"hanging around"; "waited around for the next flight"
[syn: around]
4: 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: around]
5: in or to a reversed position or direction; "about face";
"brought the ship about"; "suddenly she turned around"
[syn: around]
6: in rotation or succession; "turn about is fair play"
7: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite
accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for
`nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for
`almost'; "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: just about, almost, most,
all but, nearly, near, nigh, virtually,
well-nigh]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.]
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1. Around; all round; on every side of. "Look about you."
--Shak. "Bind them about thy neck." --Prov. iii. 3.
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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.
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3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in
various directions; here and there in; to and fro in;
throughout.
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Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses.
--Macaulay.
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Roving still about the world. --Milton.
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4. Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time,
size, quantity. "To-morrow, about this time." --Exod. ix.
18. "About my stature." --Shak.
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He went out about the third hour. --Matt. xx. 3.
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Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.
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5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on.
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I must be about my Father's business. --Luke ii. 49.
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6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive: On the point or
verge of; going; in act of.
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Paul was now aboutto open his mouth. --Acts xviii.
14.
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7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. "To
treat about thy ransom." --Milton.
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She must have her way about Sarah. --Trollope.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
About \A*bout"\, adv.
1. On all sides; around.
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'Tis time to look about. --Shak.
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2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the
outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across.
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3. Here and there; around; in one place and another.
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Wandering about from house to house. --1 Tim. v.
13.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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