adverb / preposition
about
In or around a place.
Children run about the yard while their parents talk.
Etymology
Old English abūtan meant “around.” This use preserves that spatial idea, locating something in a surrounding area rather than necessarily at one exact point.
More examples
- There are books scattered about.
- We wandered about town.
- Someone is moving about upstairs.
Forms
about
Similar words
- around
- More usual in American speech for movement in an area.