thereabout

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 þǣr-ābūtan, þǣr-onbūtan, 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.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ðɛəɹəˈbaʊt/, /ˈðɛəɹəbaʊt/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈðɛɹəˌbaʊt/, /ˌðɛɹəˈbaʊt/
• Hyphenation: there‧a‧bout

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. (obsolete)
   1. About that; concerning that.

      Synonyms: thereabouts, (Scotland) thereanent

      • 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.

   2. (figuratively) Near to that activity or situation.

      Synonym: thereabouts

• breathe out, outbreathe