about (e bot)
adv.
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 [Colloq.] all but; almost [about ready]
adj.
1 astir; on the move [he is up and about again]
2 in the vicinity; prevalent [typhoid is about] Used only in the predicate
prep.
1 around; on all sides of
2 here and there in; everywhere in
3 near to
4 concerned with; attending to [go about your business]
5 intending; on the point of: followed by an infinitive [I am about to say something]
6 on the subject of; concerning [a book about ships]
7 in connection with; pertaining to [the most interesting thing about her]
be what something is all about
[Colloq.] to be the true purpose of or reason for something
how (or what) about [Colloq.]
1 what is your wish, opinion, or information concerning? [how about going to a movie?]
2 isn't (that) interesting! [how about that!]
(not) about to
(not) likely or willing to (do something)
Etymology
[ME aboute(n) < OE onbutan, around < on, on + be, by + utan, outside < ut, out: all senses develop from the sense of around]
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