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thereabout

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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PIE word
*só
PIE word
*úd

From Middle English ther-aboute, ther-abouten (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; surrounding it; nearby, neighbouring; here and there, throughout that place; of an action, matter, etc.: about, concerning; of an amount or distance: approximately, more or less; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms],[1] from Old English þǣrābūtan, þǣronbūtan, from þǣr (“there”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só (“this; that”) + *-r) + abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”) (from on- (prefix meaning ‘on; upon; there; thither; to’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on; onto”)) + būtan (“just, merely, only”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep- + *úd (“away; out; outwards; upwards”))). The English word is analysable as there + about.[2]

The word is attested earlier than thereabouts.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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thereabout (not comparable)

  1. About or near that place.
    Synonym: thereabouts
  2. About or around that date or time.
    Synonym: thereabouts
    Dinner will be ready at six-thirty or thereabout.
  3. About or near to that condition or quality.
    Synonym: thereabouts
  4. Approximately that number or quantity.
    Synonym: thereabouts
    The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, right? Yes, thereabout.
  5. (dated)
    2. About that or those: concerning it or them.
      Synonyms: thereon, thereupon, thereanent (Scotland)
      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 24:3–4, column 2:
        And they entred in, and found not the body of the Lord Jeſus. And it came to paſſe, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men ſtood by them in ſhining garments.
      • 1915, “102 S. C. 313. Etheredge et al. v. Ætna Ins. Co. (No. 9216.) (Supreme Court of South Carolina. Oct. 20, 1915.)”, in The Southeastern Reporter‎[1], volume 86, West Publishing Company, page 689:
        It cannot be denied that the devolutions of the title to the house in issue have been unusual, and are not free from challenge. In a contest betwixt legal titles, instruments of writing thereabout must often be strictly construed, and that which may be called the real intent of the makers is sometimes defeated. But this [case] does not demand a technical application of the rules of law governing the devolution of land titles. Only a contract is in issue here.
    4. (figuratively) Near to that activity or situation.
      Synonym: thereabouts
      • 1917, “Index”, in Alexander Gordon, editor, Freedom After Ejection: A Review (1690-1692) of Presbyterian and Congregational Nonconformity in England and Wales (Historical Series)‎[2], No. XXX, University of Manchester, page 278:
        HANCOCK, THOMAS (d. 1706?). Said to have been a tanner. Held the sequestered vicarage of St. Winnow, Corn.; ejected, 1660. Continued preaching thereabout. Signed the thanks of Cornish Ministers. Licensed, 10 or 20 June 1672, as Presbyterian, to teach in his house, parish of Morval, Corn.; the house was licensed, 22 July. From 1687 he maintained a congregation at East Looe, parish of St. Martin, two miles from Morval, and received annual grants (£10, reduced 1695 to £6) from 1690 to end of 1705.

Translations

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See also

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Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts above across after afters again against along among amongst anent1 around as at away beit before beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid2 of on out over so soever somedever3 somever3 through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards -wise with withal within without
hence — — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here hereabout hereabouts hereabove — hereafter hereafters — hereagainst — hereamong hereanent — — hereat hereaway — herebefore — — — hereby — herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover — — — — herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto — hereupon — — — herewith herewithal herewithin herewithout
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
that — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thataway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thatwise — — — —
thence — — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there thereabout thereabouts thereabove thereacross thereafter thereafters thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound — thereat thereaway — therebefore therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth — — therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow — — thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover — theresoever — — therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon — — — therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
this — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thisaway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thiswise — — — —
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — whatwise — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
whence — — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — — —
where whereabout whereabouts whereabove — whereafter whereafters — whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat whereaway — wherebefore wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth — — wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow — whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever — wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon — — — wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherever — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherinsoever — — — — — — — whitherso — — — — — whitherto whithertofore — — — whitherward whitherwards — — — — —
why — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyever whyfor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyso whysoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1. Scottish
2. from Middle English mid
3. old dialectal form

References

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  1. ^ “thē̆r-abǒute(n, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “thereabout, adv.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2021; “thereabouts (also thereabout), adv.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

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