about

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled abaht and aboot

US /əˈbɐʊ̯t/ UK /əˈbaʊ̯t/ See IPA manual

Freq #46

Studied by 6 learners

Meanings

1

prep
on the subject of; concerning

We talked about our holiday plans.
2

adv
a little more or less than a number; approximately

Last night's bill was about twenty dollars.
3

adv
in many directions or in different parts of a place

Clothes were lying about the room.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 prep · on the subject of; concerning concerning regarding

2 adv · a little more or less than... approximately around roughly

3 adv · in many directions or in... around

More anent aproposirton re respecting touchingwrt

Opposites

malapropos

Appears in

Phrases (4)

See all

ask about
to inquire or seek information concerning something

Verb + preposition/particle
hear about
to receive information or news about something

Verb + preposition/particle
bandy about
to mention or discuss something casually without careful consideration

Verb + adverb
bustle about
to move around energetically while doing several tasks

Verb + adverb

Idioms (3)

See all

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūtō Proto-West Germanic *ūtan Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), i…

aboute Middle English abūtan Old English about Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# about

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** prep, adv
**IPA (US):** /əˈbɐʊ̯t/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈbaʊ̯t/
**Frequency rank:** 46

## Meanings
1. on the subject of; concerning
2. a little more or less than a number; approximately
3. in many directions or in different parts of a place

## Examples
- We talked about our holiday plans.
- Last night's bill was about twenty dollars.
- Clothes were lying about the room.

## Synonyms
- anent
- apropos
- around
- concerning
- irt
- on
- re
- regarding
- respecting
- touching
- wrt

## Antonyms
- malapropos

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: aboute
- Root: abūtan
- Root: about

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūtō Proto-West Germanic *ūtan Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Preposition and adverb from Middle English aboute, abouten, from Old English abūtan, onbūtan, from on (“in, on”) + būtan (“outside of”), i…

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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