Dictionary

go about en · VERB

Meanings

1. (transitive) To busy oneself with.
   • The workers went about their business as Zelensky looked around. One man at the wheel of a forklift seemed annoyed when the presidential entourage got in his way, and the machine beeped loudly as we tried to maneuver around him. December 7 2022, Simon Shuster, “2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky”, in Time, archived from the original on 04 Jan 2023:
2. (intransitive) To tackle (a problem or task).
   • A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him. 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
3. (intransitive) To circulate (in).
4. (intransitive, of a sailing ship) To change from one tack to another. See :Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver).
   • [I]t was commonly said that two masts, a bowsprit and a swivel gun would have transformed our dwelling into a line-of-battle ship; indeed, so seaman-like was our architect, that we feared when once we had taken possession of our new house, we might be disturbed during the night by an order being given to "go about," and by hearing in the quiet hours of the morning the familiar inquiry of "How's her head?" 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 112:

Forms

Synonyms

shrithe (to roam, wander, circulate)

Translations (20)

nl rondgaan (to circulate (in)) · pl zajmować się (to tackle) · he פָּקַם (to change from one tack to another) · nl aanpakken (to tackle) · pl rozprzestrzenić się (to circulate (in)) · de anpacken (to tackle) · es abordar (to tackle) · ga bí i mbun (to busy oneself with) · pl robić zwrot przez sztag (to change from one tack to another) · nl rondlopen (to circulate (in)) · pl zrobić zwrot przez sztag (to change from one tack to another) · ru циркули́ровать (to circulate (in)) · pl krążyć (to circulate (in)) · pl zająć się (to tackle) · pl rozprzestrzeniać się (to circulate (in)) · nl de ronde doen (to circulate (in)) · pl zająć się (to busy oneself with) · sv gå till väga (to tackle) · es encarar (to tackle) · pl zajmować się (to busy oneself with)