Forms: 1–2 onbútan, a-bútan, a-buton; 2–3 a-buten, abuuten; 3 abute; (4 abote;) 4–5 abouten, abowten; 4–6 aboute; 5 (abought, abowght); 6– about. North.: 3 abut; 4 about, obout, abowt (with final e already dropped). By-form, 5 abowtes, abouts, with genitival ending. [OE. on-bútan (cf. OFries. abûta), f. on in, on + bútan without, outside of (itself an earlier comb. of be by, near, + útan properly locative of út out, used adjectively or substantively; cf. be northan, etc.) The primary meaning of on-bútan was thus, on or by the outside of, hence around, wholly or partially. The idea of round, about, was originally expressed in OE. by ymbe, and its compound ymb-útan; the latter scarcely survived the 11th c., and the former became obs. in the 13th, about taking the place of both. The weakening to a-bútan began in the 10th c. Mod. poets have sometimes ’bout. The word was from the first used without (adv.) or with (prep.) an object; the latter in the accus. or dat. The adverbial and prepositional uses are here separated, but the distinction is one of construction rather than of meaning, and it often melts away: see A 3, B 9.]
A. (without obj. expressed) adv. I. Position.
1. Around the outside, around; on every side.
c. 1120. O. E. Chron. (Laud. MS.), an. 1090. [Hi] besæton þonne castel abuton.
a. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 246. Kastel þet haueð deope dich abuten, & water beo iðe dich, þe Kastel is wel kareleas aȝean his unwines.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls Ser.), I. 245. Þe Frensche men and Hannibal byseged hem [the Romans] all aboute.
c. 1430. Lydgate, Story of Thebes, 1339, in Skeat’s Spec., 37. A bed ryȝt softe, Rychly abouten apparayled With clothe of golde.
1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 180. Now all the blessings Of a glad father, compasse thee about.
1673. Ray, Journey thro’ Low Countries, 2. Dunkerk is … strongly fortified all about.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. N.-Cap Country, 109. The haschisch-man … Then shows him how to smoke himself about With Paradise.
b. Towards every side, in every or any direction from a point, all round; fig. in cast about, look about.
1205. Layamon, III. 26. Þa bi-sæh þat wif abuten [1250 aboute].
1380. Sir Ferumb., 159. Behold aboute now y praye, ouer and on euery helue.
c. 1400. Cokes Tale of Gamelyn, 550. The scherref aboute cast Gamelyn for to take.
1591. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. v. 40. The day is broke, be wary, looke about.
1697. Dryden, Virgil’s Georg., I. 447. By fits he deals his fiery Bolts about.
2. Less definitely: on any side; near, in the neighborhood, without defining the exact direction.
1205. Layamon, 12577. Arwen fluȝen ouer wal · al abuten ouer al.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 158. Sompne alle segges in schires aboute.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Leg. G. Wom., 720. Wemen that were neigheboris a-boute.
1388. Wyclif, Ecclus. xlvi. 16. The enemyes stondynge aboute on ech side.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxliv. 304. They caught a gyde that knewe al the countreye aboute.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, vi. 71. Lying about was what seemed to me to be the old altar-stone.
1877. Mrs. Oliphant, Makers of Flor., Introd. 12. The tocsins … were sounding all about.
Mod. Better to earn a little than hang about doing nothing.
3. Nearly, approximately; not many more or less;—used with numbers or quantities. (Almost prepositional: about a hundred men were there = men, about a hundred in number, were there. See B 9.)
1055. O. E. Chron. (Cotton MS.). Man slóh ðær mycel wæl, abutan feower hund manna, oððe fife. Ibid. (c. 1131), (Laud. MS.), an. 1127. Þær mihte wel ben abuton twente oðer þritti horn blaweres.
1297. R. Glouc., 247. Þys was in þe ȝer of grace syx hondred ȝer ywys, And aboute an foure & þrytty.
1535. Coverdale, Josh. iv. 13. Aboute a fortye thousande men ready harnessed to the warre, wente before the Lorde.
1611. Bible, Ex. xxxii. 28. There fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
1802. Mar. Edgeworth, Moral Tales (1816), I. iv. 20. A girl of about seven years old.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 348. In 1685 London had been, during about half a century, the most populous capital in Europe.
1879. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., vi. 36. 208. Light travels about 186,000 miles a second.
4. Hence, in familiar language, of degrees of quality: nearly, almost, all but. Much about: very nearly.
1614. Overbury, A Wife, etc. (1638), 94. Much about Gentlemanlike.
1832–6. Cobbett, Prospectus of his Wks. (aff. to Eng. Gramm.). In about every one of these works I have pleaded the cause of the working people.
1842. E. Miall, Nonconf., II. 335. The money-Moloch of our country … is about the grimmest, fiercest, most implacable god.
1850. E. P. Whipple, Ess. & Rev., I. 299. The difference between duty and conduct … about measures the difference between the real and the actual.
1852. Dickens, Bleak Ho., II. 102. You’re about right respecting the bond.
1880. Hawley Smart, Social Sinners, I. ix. 182. The first two are about the nicest girls in all London.
1882. Sir W. Harcourt, in Times, 13 June, 10/2. This amendment was about as relevant to the clause as it would be if it related to sheep-stealing.
Mod. colloq. I am about tired of this. Is your work about finished? Near about.
II. Motion.
5. Round, in rotation or revolution. Hence, fig. To come about: to revolve (as time), to complete a revolution, to be fulfilled; to come to pass, turn out, or happen. To bring about: to cause to revolve; bring to pass, accomplish.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Manual of Astron., 10. Seo firmament tyrnð symle onbutan us … & ealle ða steorran … turniað onbutan mid hyre.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 7712. Bot þe planetes er noght led swa, Ffor in þair cercles obout þai ga.
c. 1450. Merlin, 7. The devell was right gladde that he hadde brought this a-bouten.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Chron. xxi. 1. And whan ye yeare came aboute, what tyme as ye kynges vse to go forth, Ioab … layed sege vnto Rabba.
1580. Tusser, Husbandry, x. 45. To make thee repent it ere year about go.
1602. Shaks., Haml., V. ii. 391. And let me speake to th’ yet vnknowing world How these things came about. Ibid. (1607), Coriol., IV. v. 160. What an Arme he has, he turn’d me about with his finger and his thumbe, as one would set vp a Top.
1681. Worlidge, Syst. Agric., 29. Ere the year be about it may yield you three such Crops.
1707. Freind, Peterboro’s Cond. in Spain, 200. A revolt had been brought about in the city of Valencia.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journey (1778), II. 36. Let the heralds officers twist his neck about if they will.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. iv. 239. An accommodation was hardly brought about when Lewis died.
b. In rotation, in succession; alternately, whether of many or two.
1393. Langland, P. Pl., C. III. 232. And ȝaf pardon for pans · pound-meel a-boute.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., II. i. 50. Butts … at which the inhabitants were to shoot, up and down, (called in the poetical legends ‘shooting about’) upon all feast days.
c. 1817. J. Hogg, Tales & Sketches, III. 199. We have often sat together … reading verse about with our children in the Bible.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., III. 145. Turn and turn about’s fair play. Billy, now it’s your turn.
6. In partial rotation; half round; from front to back or vice versa;—usually with turn, face. Less usually, a short way round; to one side, aside, away. To send one to the right about: right off in the opposite direction, away with a vengeance. To get a thing the wrong way about: by the wrong end or side. To tell a story the other way about: quite oppositely. To bring one about (or round), i.e., from illness or insensibility.
1535. Coverdale, Prov. xii. 7. Or euer thou canst turne the aboute, the vngodly shal be ouerthrowne.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. vi. 64. The winde is come about, Bassanio presently will goe aboord.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., xlv. 456. He had been a very zealous protestant, but under Q. Mary came about, and was as hot the other way.
1859. Tennyson, Elaine, 605. Saying that she checked And sharply turned about to hide her face.
b. Naut. On or to the opposite tack, as to make, put, go about, to go about ship.
1588. Orders for the Span. Fleet, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 45. If he [the admiral] change her course, or make about. Before he goeth about, he will shoot off a piece; and being about, will put forth another light upon the poop.
1633. Stafford, Pac. Hib., xvi. 337 (1821). They tacked about, and made for Kinsale.
1690. Lond. Gaz., mmdlxx. 3. The French Admiral fired a Gun and went about Ship, and stood to the Westward.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xxvi. 103. Don’t you think we had better go about? Ibid., xxx. 117. The Aurora was put about.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Wd.-Bk., Ready about! and About-ship! are orders to the company to prepare for tacking.
7. Round, in circumference; in circuit. lit. and fig.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wives, I. ii. 44. Indeede I am in the waste two yards about.
1600. Hakluyt, Voyages (1810), III. 429. A more easie way though it were farther about.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 328. (1650), 73. The sure way (though most about) to make gold.
1651. trans. Bacon, Life & Death, 62. The Operation … is slow, and as it were about.
1705. Addison, Italy (1767), 181. I have seen old Roman rings so very thick about, and with such large stones in them.
1728. Morgan, Hist. Algiers, II. i. 212. Algiers … measures barely one league about.
8. In a circuitous or winding course; with frequent turnings; hither and thither; to and fro; up and down. Also, of the position of things so scattered irregularly on a surface: here and there, up and down.
a. 1123. O. E. Chron. (Laud. MS.), an. 1001. And þanon wendon in Wiht-land, and þær him ferdon on buton swa swa hi sylf woldon.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 37. He bereð abuten here senil hakel.
1205. Layamon, 25756. Arður eode abute · & his cnihtes bi his siden.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 2361. Bot if a synful myght se with-oute, How foul þe syn es, þat he bers oboute.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xiii. 201. Thanne Kyng Eualach Abowtes gan sende Aftyr his barowns.
1611. Bible, Deut. xxxii. 10. Hee ledde him about, he instructed him.
1751. Earl Chatham, Lett. to Nephew, ii. 5. I have been moving about from place to place.
c. 1817. J. Hogg, Tales & Sketches, V. 150. He bustled about & about, speaking to every one.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 373. He had been willing to be the right hand of Dundee: but he would not be ordered about by Cannon.
Mod. To move furniture about; scatter seeds about; find plants growing about; insects crawling about.
9. Hence: On the move, afoot, astir: going, moving; going on, acting, in action; prevailing (as a disease).
1297. R. Glouc., 246. Enfryd, Edwyne’s broþer, þo he sey þys wo aboute, To Cadwal he wende, & mercy cryde vor doute.
c. 1360. Song of Yesterday, in E. Eng. Poems (1862), 136. Bisi aboute . þei [children] han ben . To cacchen hit with al heore miht.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wiv., V. v. 59. About, about, Search Windsor Castle (Elues) within, and out. Ibid. (1602), Haml. II. ii. 617. Fye vpon’t! Foh! About, my Braine!
1663. Pepys, Diary (1876), II. 309. The building of St. James’s by my Lord St. Albans, which is now about.
1815. Birkbeck, Jrny. through France, 62. The wife of one of the labourers was about, and seemed perfectly hearty.
Mod. At present, when small-pox is about.
† 10. To go about to do anything: to bestir oneself, to busy oneself, to endeavor; to form designs, to contrive, conspire. Obs.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumbras, 5821. Al ys for noȝt, ȝe A-boute goes: ȝe ne bringeþ him neuere to ȝoure purpos.
c. 1400. Apol. for Loll., 113. [Þei] gredyly gon abowt to geyt al þat þey may.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, I. iii. 12. Thou goest about to apply a morall medicine, to a mortifying mischicfe.
1611. Bible, John vii. 19. Why goe ye about to kill me?
1635. N. R., trans. Camden’s Elizabeth, I. 56. Cardinall Granvill … went about to set the English and the Netherlanders … at variance.
1690. Locke, Hum. Underst., I. IV. vii. § 1. 276. No Body … ever went about to show the Reason of their Clearness.
† 11. To be about (for) to do: to be engaged in, to be busied in preparation for, to be scheming, preparing, or intending. Obs. Cf. ABOUT B 6.
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 234. Satan is ȝeorne abuten uorto ridlen þe ut of mine corne!
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 284. Thou woldest falsly ben aboute To love my lady.
1541. R. Barnes, Wks., 1573, 325/2. The deuell hath beene of long tyme aboute to bring in this snare for priests.
1634. Modern. of Malory Pr. Arthur (1816), I. 125. ‘You will never be about to do such deeds.’ ‘Nay, son,’ said she, ‘and thereto I make you assurance.’
12. Hence, it forms (with the infinitive) a future participle: On the point of, going; as scripturus, about to write, going to write, on the point of writing.
1535. Coverdale, Josh. xviii. 8. They were aboute to go for to descrybe the londe.
1580. Baret, Alvearie, To be about or ready to flie awaye.
1611. Bible, Rev. x. 4. And when the seuen thunders had vttered their voices, I was about to write.
1665. Manley, trans. Grotius’s Low-Countrey-Warrs, 289. Prince Maurice … shews his Army in Battel-Array, as if about to storm.
1816. J. Wilson, City of the Plague, I. iv. 186. The wounded soldier rests his head About to die upon the dead.
1871. Smiles, Character (1876), iii. 74. A Catholic money-lender, when about to cheat, was wont to draw a veil over the picture of his favourite saint.
In this use it passes from the adv. to the prep., which becomes still more distinct in 13. See B 6.
13. By further extension it is used with the verbal sb. in the same sense.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone Lightho., § 254. The season we were then about concluding.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., ix. 169 (1873). England seems about deserting him. Ibid., 88. The celestial sign of the balance just about canting.
B. (with object expressed) prep. I. Position.
1. On the outside, on the outer surface of; on every side of, all round; around, surrounding.
c. 880. K. Ælfred, Pastoral Care, xxi. (Sweet, Reader, 14). Ond suǽ suǽ se here sceolde bion ʓetrymed onbútan Hierusalem.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Exod. xix. 12. Þu tæcst ʓemæro abutan þone munt.
c. 1120. O. E. Chron. (Laud. MS.), an. 1104. Feower circulas to þam mid dæʓe onbutan þære sunnan. Ibid. (1154), 1137. Me dide cnotted strenges abuton here hæued, & diden an scærp iren abuton þa mannes throte. Ibid., 1135. An sterres abuten him at middæi.
a. 1200. Cotton. Hom., 239. Under him helle muð open. abuuten him all folc.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3455. Abute ðis munt ðu merke make.
c. 1300. Early Engl. Ps. (1844), lxxvii. 28. Obout þar teldes þar þai lai.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 158. Of smal coral aboute hire arme sche baar A peire of bedes.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xiv. 216. [He] beheld the hepes that Abowten him were.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxxxviii. 3. Thou art aboute my path and aboute my bedd.
1611. Bible, Mark xii. 1. A certaine man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it.
1655–60. T. Stanley, Hist. of Philos. (1701), 9/2. of equiangle triangles, the sides that are about equal angles are proportional.
1830. Tennyson, Fair Women, 162. The Roman soldier found Me lying dead, my crown about my brows.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. N.-Cap Country, 239. The balustrade About the tower.
b. Towards every side of oneself; in every direction; all round.
1340. Ayenb., 150. Vor hi zyeþ briȝtliche and ine hare herten, and al abote ham.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumbras, 126. Þanne þe kyng gan waxe wrop: & aboute him gan be-holde.
1535. Coverdale, Tob. xi. 5. The mother of Tobias sat daylie … vpon ye toppe of an hill, from whence she might se farre aboute her.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 397. Many a coward layeth about him for a bout or two.
1625. trans. Gonsalvius, Span. Inquis., 12. Vnlesse he look well about him, and be circumspect in his dealing.
1863. Longf., Falcon of Ser Federigo, 190. He looked about him for some means or way To keep this unexpected holiday.
2. (Position) around less definitely: around any part of, somewhere near, on some side of (not excluding the inside), in or near. (Shading into 11.)
1366. Maundev., iii. 15. Abouten Grece there ben many Iles.
1470. Paston Lett., 641 (1874), II. 399. I wold passyngly fayne that ye wer in London … or nye abowght London.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Chron. x. 27. In the nighte season also remayned they aboute the house of God.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. iv. 13. He is about the house.
1653. Walton, Angler, i. 20. Creatures inhabiting both in and about that element.
1771. Antiq. Sarisbur., 7. Carausius was born of mean parentage about Cleves in Germany.
Mod. The Snake’s-head grows in meadows about Oxford. The idlers hanging about the door of the public-house.
3. With persons, the literal sense of around soon passed into those of holding a position beside, being in common intercourse with, habitually connected with, in attendance on, in the suite of.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 55, Pater Noster, 13. Abuten us he [beelzebub] is for to blenchen.
1366. Maundev., xxii. 242. Tho lordes only that ben aboute him.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, ii. b. The fend that euer is incessauntly aboute the synnar.
1550. Thomas, Ital. Dict., Excubitore, the chamberer that watcheth as it is used aboutes great Personages.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wives, II. ii. 17. Hang no more about mee, I am no gibbet for you. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T. II. i. 59. Beare the Boy hence, he shall not come about her.
1723. Bp. Blackall, Wks., I. 46. They become ten times more uneasy to themselves than to those who are about them.
1837. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (ed. 3), I. xxv. 384. We get used to the things about us.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. ix. 365. The king was allowed to have about him his Norman stallers.
4. Somewhere on or near the person; in one’s pockets or other receptacles; with, at hand.
1567. Maplet, A greene Forest, 12 b. It [Kabiates] is thought being borne about one to make a man eloquent.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 146. [She] told me what priuie marks I had about mee. Ibid. (1598), Merry Wives, I. i. 209. You haue not the booke of Riddles about you, haue you?
1637. Milton, Comus, 647. If you have this [herb] about you … you may Boldly assault the necromancer’s hall.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., II. iii. 86. When they had lost all they had about them, they would sometimes pledge a part of their wearing apparel.
5. Attributive connection: Appertaining to; attached to as an attribute or attendant circumstance.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., II. i. 163. His face is the worst thing about him.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone Lightho., § 254. Leaving every thing about the work, up to the entry door, ready to go to sea.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, v. 56. There was a look about it … which seemed to me to be foreign.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. vii. 124. There must have been something specially hateful about this tax.
6. Practical connection: Near so as to meddle with; concerned or occupied with; dealing with, attending to, interfering with; prosecuting, trying to do or to make. The early quot. show the transition in ‘busy about,’ from the literal busy round, to busy interfering with. (To send one about his business: off, away, i.e., to attend to his own affairs. See BUSINESS.) Closely connected with A 10–13, of which the two latter are indeed in modern use prepositional.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 175. Þa þe weren eure abuten þisse worldes echte.
c. 1220. S. Marherete, 16. Ant am in hare beddes so bisi ham a buten.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Leg. Good W., 1610. This thinge the whiche ye ben aboute.
c. 1400. Apol. for Lollards, 23. Þe souereynes of þe kirke howun not to curse for temporal þingis, ne bisy a bowt hem.
c. 1440. Generydes, 1173 (1873). Ffor this iv yere we haue ben it abought.
1605. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 693. The Prince himselfe is about a peece of Iniquitie.
1611. Bible, Luke ii. 49. Wist yee not that I must bee about my fathers businesse?
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 436. The worke which himselfe and Paul went about.
1751. Harris, Hermes (1841), 225. These machines … must be the work of one who knew what he was about.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., Introd. 44. Neither might they … prevent any one from passing peaceably about his business.
1878. G. Macdonald, Ann. Quiet Neighb., iv. 44. Whoever made it has taken long enough about it.
Mod. What are you about there?
7. Abstract connection: Touching, concerning; in the matter of, in reference or regard to. The regular preposition employed to define the subject matter of verbal activity, as in to speak, think, ask, dream, hear, know about; to be sorry, pleased, perplexed about; to give orders, instructions, information about; to form plans, have doubts, feel sure about.
a. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 344. Hu hire stont abuten vleschliche tentaciuns, ȝif heo ham haueð.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xix. (Skeat, Specim., 51). Defautis doon aboute ymagis & pilgrimagis ben myche liȝter & esier to be amendid.
1590. Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 2. We haue some secrets to confer about. Ibid. (1596), Merch. V., I. iii. 109. In the Ryalto you haue rated me About my monies and my vsances. Ibid. (1599), (title), Much Adoe about Nothing.
1611. Bible, Lev. vi. 5. All that about which hee hath sworne falsly.
1777. Hume, Ess. & Treat., I. 193. Shall we be indifferent about what happens?
1854. Kingsley, Alexandria, ii. 50. It is better to know one thing than to know about ten thousand things.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 13. Twenty governments, divided by quarrels about precedence, quarrels about territory, quarrels about trade, quarrels about religion.
b. This passes occasionally into the sense, on account of, because of.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. i. 25. Doe you meane to stoppe any of Williams wages, about the Sacke he lost the other day? Ibid. (1598), Merry Wives, IV. i. 5. He is very couragious mad, about his throwing into the water.
8. Of a point of time: Near, nigh; close to, not far from; in giving an approximative date or hour.
1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud. MS.), an. 1140. Abuton non tid dæies, þa men eten.
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 24. Abute swuch time alse me singeð messe.
1297. R. Glouc., 431. He deyde aboute þulke tyme.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knight’s T., 1331. Þise lordes al and some Bene on the sonday to þe cite come Aboute prime.
1534. trans. Polyd. Verg., Eng. Hist., I. 56. Cæsar abowte the æquinoctiall time of harveste, retourned into Fraunce.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wives, V. i. 12. Bee you in the Parke about midnight.
1611. Bible, John vii. 14. Now about the middest of the feast Jesus went vp into the Temple, and taught.
1756. Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. I. 27. About this time, another torrent of barbarians … poured out of the south.
1882. Daily News, 22 March, 2/8. They returned to their quarters about three o’clock.
9. Of a point in a scale of quantity: Near, close to, not much above or below; in giving an approximate weight, measure, or point on any scale.
1590. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. iv. 163. Sil. How tall was she? Jul. About my stature.
1768. Goldsm., Good Nat. M., III. He’s much about my size and figure.
Mod. Its boiling point is about 150° Fahr. About the same elevation as the top of Primrose Hill.
¶ These two last are closely connected with the adverbial senses A 3, 4; cf. Come about six o’clock; stay about an hour; to weigh about a pound; to be about right.
II. Motion.
10. Round the outside of; round (in opposition to across, over, or into). arch. (To beat about the bush. See BUSH.)
c. 1000. Ælfric, Manual of Astronomy, 8. Læssan ymbgang hæfð se man þe gæð abútan án hús, þonne se ðe eall ða burh be-gæð.
c. 1075. O. E. Chron. (Laud. MS.), an. 1000. And his scipu wendon út abuton Leʓceastre.
1205. Layamon, 26065. And Arður aneouste þat treo bieorn abute.
a. 1300. Fragm., in Wright, Pop. Science, 132. Hevene goth aboute the wordle.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wives, IV. iv. 31. Herne the Hunter … Doth all the winter time, at still midnight Walke round about an Oake.
1655–60. T. Stanley, Hist. of Philos. (1701), 86/2. He sent two Companies of Horse secretly about the Hill.
1697. Dampier, Voyages (1729), I. 257. They could not get about the Cape.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. of Nat., v. 79. The revolution of a planet about the sun.
11. Round or over the parts of; in circuit over the surface of; to and fro in; across or over in any direction. Used also of the position of things scattered over the surface of anything: here and there in or on. (Shading into 2.)
1524. More, Upon the Passion, Wks. 1557, 1318/1. Do my message in preching my woorde aboute the worlde.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 11. That path they take, that beaten seem’d most bare, And like to lead the labyrinth about.
c. 1605. Ratseis Ghost, B 1. Players were never so thriftie as they are now about London.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 220. In troops I haue dispers’d them ’bout the Isle.
1878. G. Macdonald, Ann. Quiet Neighb., iv. 43. I was wandering about the place, making some acquaintance with it.
1879. Tennyson, Lover’s T. Friends … who lived scatteringly about that lonely land.
Mod. The cowslips dotted about the field.
b. Frequenting, mingling in the pursuits of; esp. in the common phrase about town.
1593. Nashe, Foure Lett. Confuted, 83. Since I first knew him about town.
1848. Thackeray, Vanity F., I. 131. A perfect and celebrated ‘blood’ or dandy about town. Ibid., 192. He was not very wise; but he was a man about town, and had seen several seasons.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 153. Some Roman Catholics about the court had, indiscreetly or artfully, told all.
C. Comb. When used as a verb-complement, about was occasionally, like separable prefixes in German, prefixed to the verb, as in about go, about run, about stand; these have sometimes been connected by hyphens, but are scarcely compounds.
Also about-speech obs., a roundabout phrase, circumlocution; about-standing (cf. Germ. Umstand) obs., a circumstance; about-writing obs., the legend round the head stamped on a coin.
Also ABOUT-SLEDGE, ABOUTWARD, q.v.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 7583. Þir twa hevens ay obout-rynnes, Both day and nyght, and never blynnes; Þe erth, þat þa hevens obout-gase, Es bot als a poynt Imyddes a compase.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xlvi. 16. He inwardly clepide the almiȝty Lord, in aȝenfiȝting the enemys aboute stondende.
1513. Douglas, Virgil’s Æneis, I. 12 (1710). Rycht so by about-speich often tymes And semblabill wordis we compyle our rymes.
1340. Ayenb., 174. Vor he ssel zigge alle his zennes … and þe aboutestondinges of þe zennes. Ibid., 175. Ac þe aboutestondinges alle þet moreþ þe zennes.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. ii. 140. And thei seiden, It is the ymage and the Aboute-writing of Cæsar, the Emperour.
