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about
a·bout / əˈbout/ • prep. 1. on the subject of; concerning: I was thinking about you. ∎ so as to affect: there's nothing we can do about it. ∎ (be about) be involved or to do with; have the intention of: it's all about having fun. 2. used to indicate movement within a particular area: she looked about the room. 3. used to express location in a particular place: rugs strewn about the hall. ∎ used to describe a quality apparent in a person: there was a look about her that said everything. • adv. 1. used to indicate movement in an area: men were floundering about. 2. used to express location in a particular place: there was a lot of flu about. 3. (used with a number or quantity) approximately: he's about 35. PHRASES: about to do something intending to do something or close to doing something very soon: the ceremony was about to begin. be not about to do something be unwilling to do something: he is not about to step down. how about see how1 . just about see just. up and about see up. what about see what. |
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"about." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "about." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-about.html "about." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-about.html |
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about
about, a term used in sailing, meaning across the wind in relation to the bow of a sailing vessel. Thus, when a ship tacks across the wind to bring the wind from one side of the ship to the other, the ship is said to be going about. ‘Ready about’, the order given in a sailing ship to tack across the wind, the actual moment of the helm being put down being signified by the order ‘about ship’. In yachts and smaller craft, this order is usually ‘ready about—lee-oh’, indicating that the helm is being put down to leeward.
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"about." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "about." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-about.html "about." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-about.html |
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about
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T. F. HOAD. "about." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "about." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-about.html T. F. HOAD. "about." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-about.html |
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about
about
•about, bout, clout, devout, doubt, down-and-out, drought, flout, gout, grout, knout, Kraut, lout, mahout, misdoubt, nowt, out, out-and-out, owt, pout, Prout, right about, rout, scout, shout, snout, spout, sprout, stout, thereabout, thereout, throughout, timeout, tout, trout, way-out, without
•layout, payout
•buyout • blowout • layabout
•gadabout • roundabout • knockabout
•walkabout • runabout • turnabout
•hereabout • roustabout
•handout, standout
•readout • hideout • dugout • blackout
•checkout
•breakout, stakeout, takeout
•strikeout
•knockout, lockout
•walkout
•cookout, lookout
•workout • sell-out • fallout • pull-out
•umlaut • litter lout • spin-out
•burnout, turnout
•hangout • wipeout
•copout, dropout
•waterspout • beansprout • clearout
•sauerkraut • washout • printout
•white-out • shoot-out
•cut-out, shut-out
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Cite this article
"about." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "about." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-about.html "about." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-about.html |
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