# bout

/ˈbaʊt/ (US) · /bˈaʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bout
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a period of illness

noun · CEFR B2

a short period of time when you are suffering from a specific illness or feeling.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. a sports match

noun · CEFR B2

a boxing or wrestling match, or a similar fight.

For teachers: a contest or match in a contact sport, most commonly used in the context of boxing, wrestling, or fencing.

- 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.

### 3. instrument shape

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the curved part of a musical instrument like a guitar or violin.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- She is recovering from a short bout of the flu.
- After a long bout of heavy rain, the sun finally came out and dried the fields.
- The athlete's career was unfortunately interrupted by recurring bouts of tendonitis, which prevented him from maintaining a consistent training schedule during the peak of the season.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.