Word
bout
US/ˈbaʊt/
UK/bˈaʊt/
Definitions
01a period of illness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Medicine
n. a short period of time when you are suffering from a specific illness or feeling.
n. a period of time during which an individual suffers from a specific ailment or a recurring condition.
“He is recovering at home after a sudden bout of the flu.”
“After a prolonged bout of depression, she found that returning to a structured routine helped her regain a sense of normalcy.”
02a sports match
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports
n. a boxing or wrestling match, or a similar fight.
n. a contest or match in a contact sport, most commonly used in the context of boxing, wrestling, or fencing.
Español:encuentro
“The young boxer won his first professional bout in the third round.”
“The heavyweight champion is scheduled for a twelve-round bout next month, which many critics believe will be his final appearance in the ring.”
03instrument shape
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Music Technical
n. the curved part of a musical instrument like a guitar or violin.
n. the characteristic outward curve or bulge in the body of a stringed instrument.
“The guitar has a wide lower bout that helps it produce a deep sound.”
“The luthier carefully sanded the upper bout of the cello to ensure the instrument's resonance remained balanced across all registers.”
Real-World Examples
“Rocky Balboa: Three decades after Rocky, the series comes full circle in 2006, with another long-shot bout against (yet) another champion who takes Rocky too lightly.” “González missed Gotham’s bout in the Fifa Women’s Champions Cup in January while her partner, Estefanía Cruz, gave birth to their first child.” Etymology
From Middle English bout, bowt, bught (whence also modern English bought (“bend, curve”)), probably from Old English buht (“bend, turn”), an unrecorded variant of Old English byht (“a bend, curve”), from Proto-West Germanic buhti, from Proto-Germanic *buhtiz (“a bend”). Equivalent to bow + -t. Doublet of bight and bought. For the sense development compare bender.
Written form of a reduction of about.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/bout
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0