English · Word Candidate

bout

/ˈbaʊt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: bouts · bouting · bouted

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A period of something, especially one painful or unpleasant, like an illness.

Noun

Examples

a bout of drought

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A boxing match.

Noun

Examples

An Italian boxer abandoned her bout at the Paris Olympics after only 46 seconds on Thursday, refusing to continue after taking a heavy punch from an Algerian opponent who had been disqualified from last year’s world championships over questions about her eligibility to compete in women’s sports.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To contest a bout.

Verb

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

Apheretic form of about.

PrepositionRegister: colloquial

Examples

They're talking bout you!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “bout” mean?

A period of something, especially one painful or unpleasant, like an illness.

Is “bout” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.