thereaˈbouts, adv.
[f. prec. with advb. -s.
Of later appearance than prec., but now in southern Eng. more frequent in senses 1 and 2.]
1. About, or in the neighbourhood of, that place; in the district, region, etc. round about there.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xiv. 63 Þare aboutes er many gude hilles and faire. 1522 Rutland Papers (Camden) 83 The noblemen belongyng to themperor that be lodged in the chanons howses of Paules and ther aboutes. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xii. 14 Theeues..there abouts do lye secretly hidde too entrappe them that came therabouts. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 6 Flies, Gnats, and Wasps, which the Fens thereabouts produce in such quantity. 1797 F. Burney Let. to Burney 13 Sept., It is the best house thereabouts..in a broad street. 1860 Hawthorne Marb. Faun xvi, A homeless dog, that haunted thereabouts. 1909 Times 23 July 10/1 In the streets thereabouts men and women gathered in crowds. |
† b. After a preposition. Obs. rare.
| 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) i. xxxvi. 38 b/1 All the others..departed all fro there abowtes. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 673 In the Countie of Yorke, and other places, nere therabouts. 1654 Earl of Monmouth tr. Bentivoglio's Warrs Flanders 427 The Town of Groll is not far from thereabouts. |
c. fig. About that; near to that state or action: see about adv. 13. Obs. or rare.
| 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iii. x. 29, I, are you thereabouts? Why then goodnight indeede. 1611 ― Wint. T. i. ii. 378. 1697 Vanbrugh æsop. ii. i, Euph. Unlace me, or I shall swoon. Dor. Unlace you! why, you are not there abouts, I hope? 1732 Fielding Debauchees ii. iv, Hoity-toity—Are you thereabouts, good father? |
2. Transferred to time, quantity, quality, degree, etc. Mostly preceded by or. a. About or near to a specified date or time.
| 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. viii. 17 Cyrus was borne in the hundreth yere or there aboutes after the death of Esaie. 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 139 Which happened since the dissolution here in England, or much what thereabouts. 1769 Burke Corr. (1844) I. 177 The meeting is put off until..the twelfth of September, or thereabouts. 1878 Huxley Physiogr. 10 From the year 1660 or thereabouts. |
b. About or not far different from a stated number, sum, quantity, space of time, degree, condition, etc.; very nearly so; approximately so. there or thereabouts: see there adv. 14.
| 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xvii. 64, I wyl that man lyue in..tribulacion fyue thousand yere or neyhe ther aboutes. 1581 in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. V. 20 William Tharley aged thirtie yeares or theraboutes. 1601 Shakes. All's Well iv. iii. 171 Fiue or six thousand horse I sed..or thereabouts. 1704 Lond. Gaz. No. 3987/4 A lighter Bay, 13 hands and half high, or thereabouts. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (1840) II. viii. 191 In three hours, or thereabouts. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II. 17 Mont Blanc is 15,562 feet or thereabouts. 1818 Keats Lett. Wks. 1889 III. 127 Write to me and tell me that you are well, or thereabouts. 1878 Huxley Physiogr. 210 The pavement..was at the sea-level or thereabouts. 1898 Pall Mall G. 20 Jan. 2/2 You may be sure the original statement was thereabouts, if not quite there. |
† 3. About or concerning that; = prec. 3. Obs.
| 1586 Day Eng. Secretary ii. (1625) 71, I would haue you to conferre with my Cosen T. R. thereabouts. 1611 W. Sclater Key (1629) 306 Colour..cannot be said to be obiectum actu, till some act of sight be exercised thereabouts. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows iii. §61. 298 Mens conjectures thereabouts are various. 1657 W. Rand tr. Gassendi's Life Peiresc i. 178 He concludes a passage there⁓abouts in these words. |