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WALK ABOUT
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I. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Walk with no particular goal
Example:
after breakfast, she walked about in the park
Synonyms:
perambulate; walk about; walk around
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "walk about" is one way to...):
walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
Sentence example:
Sam and Sue walk about
Derivation:
walkabout (a walking trip or tour)
Context examples:
Then let us walk about and quiz people.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
There was another thing I could have wished, namely, that Jip had never been encouraged to walk about the tablecloth during dinner.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
He also advised me to be composed; I scorned the insinuation of helplessness and distraction, shook off his hand, and began to walk about again.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
She hoped to be more fortunate the next day; and when her wishes for fine weather were answered by seeing a beautiful morning, she hardly felt a doubt of it; for a fine Sunday in Bath empties every house of its inhabitants, and all the world appears on such an occasion to walk about and tell their acquaintance what a charming day it is.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
When I remembered where I was at that untimely hour, a feeling stole upon me that made me get up, afraid of I don't know what, and walk about.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
She could neither sit still nor employ herself for ten minutes together, walking round the garden and orchard again and again, as if nothing but motion was voluntary; and it seemed as if she could even walk about the house rather than remain fixed for any time in the parlour.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
This ceremony I performed; and the Doctor begging Mr. Dick, whensoever he should not find me at the coach office, to come on there, and rest himself until our morning's work was over, it soon passed into a custom for Mr. Dick to come on as a matter of course, and, if we were a little late, as often happened on a Wednesday, to walk about the courtyard, waiting for me.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
The company began to disperse when the dancing was over—enough to leave space for the remainder to walk about in some comfort; and now was the time for a heroine, who had not yet played a very distinguished part in the events of the evening, to be noticed and admired.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
It was a wonderfully fine thing to walk about town with the key of my house in my pocket, and to know that I could ask any fellow to come home, and make quite sure of its being inconvenient to nobody, if it were not so to me.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
In my forlorn state I became quite attached to the family, and used to walk about, busy with Mrs. Micawber's calculations of ways and means, and heavy with the weight of Mr. Micawber's debts.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
