cast about en · VERB
Etymology
From cast (“to try”) + about, perhaps dissimulated from becast (“to cast about, plot”). Compare also Old English costian (“to try, examine”). More at cast, costen.
Meanings
-
(intransitive) To try to find; look around; search.
The hounds cast about for the fox's trail.
- (transitive) To plan; plot; contrive.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| cast about | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| cast about | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| casting about | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| casts about | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |