5/12/2020 Longman Advanced American Dictionary

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about Go about2 ●●● S1 W1 adverb

ETYMOLOGY THESAURUS
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1 more or less a particular number or amount:
about preposition Tim’s about 25 years old.
about2 adverb Her music lesson is about 45 minutes long.
about3 adjective
about-face noun THESAURUS
above1 preposition approximately – a little more or a little less than a number, amount, distance, or time.
above2 adverb Approximately is more formal than about or around:
above3 adjective A kilo is approximately 2 pounds.
above4 noun
aboveboard adjective around – used when guessing a number, amount, time, etc., without being exact:
above-mentioned Around 50 people came to the meeting.
adjective
roughly – a little more or a little less than a number, size, or amount – used when you
abracadabra
interjection know a number is not exact:
abrade verb Roughly 7,000 vehicles a day cross the border.
Abraham
or so – used when you cannot be exact about a number, amount, or period of time:
abrasion noun
Every month or so, he drives up to visit his parents.
abrasive1 adjective
abrasive2 noun in the region of – used when a number or amount will be a little more or a little less
abrasively adverb than the one mentioned:
abreast adverb It will cost in the region of $750 to fix it.

Other words and phrases 2 informal almost:

She’s 11 months old and just about ready to start walking.
→ see also just about at JUST1 (4)

3 that’s about it/all informal

a) used to say that you have said everything you know about a subject:
I’ve seen her at school a few times, but that’s about it.
b) used to tell someone that there is nothing else available:
There’s some ham in the fridge, and that’s about it.

[Origin: from Old English abutan, from a- on + butan outside]

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