bout

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaʊt/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /bʌʊt/

From Middle English bught, probably from an unrecorded Old English variant of byht (“a bend”). [1] See bight, bought.

bout (plural bouts)

1. A period of something, usually painful or unpleasant

   a bout of drought.

2. (boxing) A boxing match.
3. (fencing) An assault (a fencing encounter) at which the score is kept.
4. (roller derby) A roller derby match.
5. A fighting competition.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength.

6. (music) A bulge or widening in a musical instrument, such as either of the two characteristic bulges of a guitar.
7. (dated) The going and returning of a plough, or other implement used to mark the ground and create a headland, across a field.
   • 1809, A Letter to Sir John Sinclair […] containing a Statement of the System under which a considerable Farm is profitably managed in Hertfordshire. Given at the request of the Board. By Thomas Greg, Esq., published in The Farmer's Magazine, page 395:

     The outside bout of each land is ploughed two inches deeper, and from thence the water runs into cross furrows, which are dug with a spade […] I have an instrument of great power, called a scarifier, for this purpose. It is drawn by four horses, and completely prepares the land for the seed at each bout.

   • 1922, An Ingenious One-Way Agrimotor, published in The Commercial Motor, volume 34, published by Temple Press, page 32:

     It is in this manner that the ploughs are reversed at the termination of each bout of the field.

   • 1976, Claude Culpin, Farm Machinery, page 60:

     The last two rounds must be ploughed shallower, and on the last bout the strip left should be one furrow width for a two-furrow plough, two for a three-furrow, and so on. […]

bout (third-person singular simple present bouts, present participle bouting, simple past and past participle bouted)

1. To contest a bout.

Written form of a reduction of about.

bout

1. (colloquial) Aphetic form of about

   They're talking bout you!

   Maddy is bout to get beat up!

From Middle Dutch bout, from Old Dutch *bolt, from Proto-Germanic *bultaz. Compare German Bolzen, West Frisian bout, English bolt, Danish bolt, Icelandic bolti.

• IPA^(key): /bɑu̯t/

• Audio

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• Rhymes: -ɑu̯t
• Homophones: boud, bouwt

bout m (plural bouten, diminutive boutje n)

1. bolt (threaded metal cylinder)
   • 2004, Wim Ravesteijn, Jan H. Kop, Bouwen in de Archipel. Burgerlijke openbare werken in Nederlands-Indië 1800-2000, page 104.

     Deze werd door speciale bouten verbonden.

     This was secured with special bolts.

2. haunch, leg of an animal as food
   • 2010, Ilse D'hooge, Het complete Libelle pastaboek.

     Roer regelmatig om alle boutjes gelijkmatig te kleuren.

     Stir regularly to give all haunches an even colour.

   Synonyms: poot, schenkel

3. (vulgar) fart
   • 2000 March 31, RAYMOND HOFSTE, “passie voor bruine bonen, "Pffffffrrrtttt" Aaaaaaaaaaa.”, in alt.humor.dutch, Usenet‎:

     De bout was niet alleen hard maar stonk ook als een rot ei.

     The fart wasn't just loud but also stank like a rotten egg.

   Synonyms: buikwind, scheet, ruft, wind

4. bolt (crossbow arrow)
   • 1875, Willem Jacob Hofdijk, De oude schutterij in Nederland, page 19.

     Het lichtere esschenhout diende tot pylen of bouten.

     The lighter ash wood was used for arrows or bolts.

   Synonyms: kruisboogbout, schicht

5. (Surinam) thigh
6. bar, rod

   Synonyms: staaf, stang

7. (archaic) darling, sweetheart, dear

   Synonyms: lieverd, lieveling, schat, schattebout

8. iron (apparatus for ironing clothing)
   • 1986, Jan Terlouw, Gevangenis met een open deur, page 21.

     De bout stoomde nog.

     The clothes iron was still steaming.

   Synonyms: strijkbout, strijkijzer

• moer
• schroef

From Middle French, from Old French bout (“a blow”), derivative of bouter (“to strike”), of Germanic origin. More at bouter.

• IPA^(key): /bu/, (sense 3) /but/

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• Rhymes: -u
• Homophones: boue, bous

bout m (plural bouts)

1. end, extremity, tip (of a physical object)
2. bit, piece, scrap
3. (nautical) rope

bout

1. third-person singular present indicative of bouillir

• “bout” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

bout m (oblique plural bouz or boutz, nominative singular bouz or boutz, nominative plural bout)

1. end (extremity)