whereabouts

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English

Etymology

From Middle English wheraboutes, equivalent to whereabout +‎ -s (adverbial suffix).

Pronunciation

  • (adverb) IPA(key): /ˌ(h)wɛəɹəˈbaʊts/
  • (noun) IPA(key): /ˈ(h)wɛəɹəˌbaʊts/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adverb

whereabouts (not comparable)

  1. In, at or near what location.
    Whereabouts do you live?

Translations

Noun

whereabouts (plural whereabouts) (usually plural only)

  1. (with a possessive) A location; where something is situated.
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 145:
      In the Middle Ages Rhabdomancers were employed to discover mines, and the whereabouts of precious stones.
    • 1962, Geert van den Steenhoven, Leadership and Law Among the Eskimos of the Keewatin District, Northwest Territories, London: Excelsior, page 54:
      the effectively functioning group of relatives is likely to be much smaller owing, for instance, to death of the older generation or far distant whereabouts of other relatives.
    • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 375, about Terling:
      Further clues are provided by milk-floats bearing the legend 'Lord Rayleigh's Dairies: A Family Business', and a number of signs indicating the whereabouts of various departments of Lord Rayleigh's Farms.
    • 2011 September 7, “Whereabouts of Qaddafi Are Clouded in Confusion”, in The New York Times‎, page A14:
    • 2020 September 4, “Here’s What the Season 1 Cast of 'Below Deck Med' Is Doing Now”, in Men's Health‎, Yahoo:
      It might feel like forever ago, but you're probably still wondering about the whereabouts of fireman-turned-deckhand Bobby Giancola, English second stew Julia d'Albert Pusey, and of course, Danny Zureikat, the deckhand who didn't quite make it to the end of the charter season. Well, we have answers—and some of their whereabouts might surprise you.
    • 2021 July 15, Ronen Bergman and Oscar Lopez, “Former Official Wanted by Mexico Takes Refuge in Israel”, in The New York Times‎, page A7:
      Mr. Zerón’s exact whereabouts is not known and he could not be reached for comment.
  2. (sports) Information about an elite athlete's future whereabouts, supplied to antidoping authorities to facilitate random out-of-competition testing.
    • 2021 June 11, “Nigerian athlete Roland Ezuruike receives 18-month ban for whereabouts rule violation”, in Press Releases‎, International Paralympic Committee:
      The IPC reminds all athletes in their Registered Testing Pool to remain vigilant when it comes to filing and updating their whereabouts.

Usage notes

  • Usually construed as plural, but singular is also standard, though becoming rarer since the 1950s.[1] Singular is mandated by some style guides,[2] plural by others.[3]

Translations

References

  1. ^ Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (1989), p. 955; Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage (4th ed., 2015) p.880, Garner's Modern English Usage (4th ed., 2018) p.960
  2. ^ UPI Style Book & Guide to Newswriting (4th ed., 2004) p. 264; The Wall Street Journal Guide to Business Style and Us (2010) p. 249
  3. ^ The Economist Style Guide (12th ed., 2018) sv "plural nouns"

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts across after again against along among amongst anent[1] around as at beit beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid[2] of on out over so soever somedever[3] somever[3] through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards with withal within without
hence — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here hereabout hereabouts — hereafter — hereagainst — hereamong hereamongst hereanent — — hereat — — — — hereby — herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover — — — — herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto — hereupon — — herewith herewithal herewithin —
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — —
thence — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there thereabout thereabouts thereacross thereafter thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound — thereat — therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth — — therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow — — thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover — theresoever — — therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon — — therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — − — − — — − − — — — —
whence — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — —
where whereabout whereabouts — whereafter — whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat — wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth — — wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow — whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever — wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon — — wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherever — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherinsoever — — — — — — — whitherso — — — — — whitherto whithertofore — — — whitherward whitherwards — — — —
why — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyever whyfor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyso whysoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
  1. ^ Scottish
  2. ^ from Middle English mid
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 old dialectal form
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