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.
thereabout (not comparable)
- About or near that place.
- Synonym: thereabouts
- About or around that date or time.
- Synonym: thereabouts
Dinner will be ready at six-thirty or thereabout.
- About or near to that condition or quality.
- Synonym: thereabouts
- Approximately that number or quantity.
- Synonym: thereabouts
The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, right? Yes, thereabout.
- (dated)
- 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.
- (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.
about or near that place
- Bulgarian: около (bg) (okolo)
- Dutch: daaromheen (nl)
- Finnish: noilla main, tuollapäin (of a location pointed at), niillä main, sielläpäin (of a location that is not pointed at but indicated otherwise)
- German: daherum, dortherum, in der Gegend, um die Ecke (de)
- Italian: nei dintorni, nei pressi, nelle vicinanze
- Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: wan deran
- Portuguese: em torno disto
- Russian: о́коло того́ (ókolo tovó), о́коло э́того (ókolo étovo)
- Spanish: algo por ahí, por ahí (es), a eso de, a aqueso de, poco más o menos, sobre poco más o menos
- Swedish: däromkring (sv)
- Ukrainian: десь там (desʹ tam), поруч (poruč)
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about or around that date or time
about or near to that condition or quality
approximately that number or quantity
- (about) hereabout, thereabout, whereabout
- (abouts) hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts
- (above) hereabove, thereabove, whereabove
- (across) thereacross, whereacross
- (after) hereafter, thereafter, whereafter
- (against) hereagainst, thereagainst, whereagainst
- (again) thereagain
- (along) herealong, therealong, wherealong
- (amidst) thereamidst
- (amid) thereamid
- (among) hereamong, thereamong, whereamong
- (amongst) thereamongst, whereamongst
- (anent) hereanent, thereanent, whereanent
- (around) therearound, wherearound
- (as) thereas, whereas
- (at) hereat, thereat, whereat
- (atop) thereatop
- (away) hereaway, thereaway, whereaway
- (before) herebefore, therebefore, wherebefore
- (behind) therebehind, wherebehind
- (below) herebelow, therebelow, wherebelow
- (beneath) herebeneath, therebeneath
- (beside) therebeside
- (between) therebetween, wherebetween
- (betwixt) therebetwixt
- (beyond) herebeyond, therebeyond
- (by) hereby, thereby, whereby
- (ever) herever, therever, wherever
- (fore) herefore, therefore, wherefore
- (for) herefor, therefor, wherefor
- (forth) hereforth
- (from) herefrom, therefrom, wherefrom
- (hence) herehence, therehence
- (in above) hereinabove, thereinabove
- (in after) hereinafter, thereinafter, whereinafter
- (in before) hereinbefore, thereinbefore, whereinbefore
- (in below) hereinbelow, thereinbelow
- (in elsewhere) hereinelsewhere
- (in) herein, therein, wherein
- (in soever) whereinsoever
- (into) hereinto, thereinto, whereinto
- (in under) hereinunder, thereinunder
- (in which) whereinwhich
- (mid) theremid
- (of) hereof, thereof, whereof
- (on) hereon, thereon, whereon
- (onto) hereonto, thereonto, whereonto
- (out) hereout, thereout, whereout
- (outside) thereoutside
- (over) hereover, thereover, whereover
- (soever) wheresoever
- (somever) wheresomever
- (so) whereso
- (throughout) therethroughout
- (through) therethrough, wherethrough
- (tofore) heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore
- (to) hereto, thereto, whereto
- (toward) heretoward, theretoward, wheretoward
- (towards) theretowards, wheretowards
- (under) hereunder, thereunder, whereunder
- (until) thereuntil, whereuntil
- (unto) hereunto, thereunto, whereunto
- (upon) hereupon, thereupon, whereupon
- (up) thereup, whereup
- (withal) herewithal, therewithal, wherewithal
- (with) herewith, therewith, wherewith
- (within) herewithin, therewithin, wherewithin
- (without) herewithout, therewithout, wherewithout
- ^ “thē̆r-abǒute(n, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ “thereabout, adv.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2021; “thereabouts (also thereabout), adv.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.