Definition of THEREABOUTS

thereabouts

Meanings

Adverb

  • near that time or date
    • "come at noon or thereabouts"
  • near that place
    • "he stayed in London or thereabouts for several weeks"

Adv

  • Synonym of thereabout:
  • About or near that place.
  • Synonym of thereabout:
  • About or around that date or time.
  • Synonym of thereabout:
  • About or near to that condition or quality.
  • Synonym of thereabout:
  • Approximately that number or quantity.
  • Synonym of thereabout:
  • About that; concerning that.
  • Synonym of thereabout:
  • Near to that activity or situation.

Noun

  • Location; whereabouts.

Origin / Etymology

The adverb is derived from Middle English there-aboutes, þare aboutes (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms], from ther (“in that place, in those places, there; on that; thither, to that place; from there, thence; at that time; thereupon; in that situation, under those circumstances; in that case, with regard to that”) (from Old English þǣr (“there”)) + aboutes (“in all directions, around”, adverb), aboutes (“in all directions from, on all sides of; near; concerned with”, preposition) (from aboute, abouten (“so as to surround; so as to cover; on the border or edge; as measured around the outside; to as to travel around something; so as to revolve about an axis or centre; aside; in all directions; in the vicinity; in connection with something; in several places; everywhere, throughout; to all or everyone; almost, approximately; concerning; in succession; so as to be or happen”, adverb), aboute, abouten (“surrounding; covering; over; upon; on the border of; in all directions; in the vicinity of, near to; in several places; everywhere, throughout; almost, approximately; concerning; engaged in; on behalf of”, preposition) (from Old English abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”)) + -s (suffix forming adverbs)); see further at thereabout. The English word is analysable as thereabout + -s (suffix forming adverbs).
The noun may result from a confusion of thereabouts with whereabouts.
The word is attested later than thereabout.

Synonyms

thereabout

Scrabble Score: 16

thereabouts is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
thereabouts is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
thereabouts is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

thereabouts is a valid Words With Friends word