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Synonyms

bout

American  
[bout] / baʊt /

noun

  1. a contest or trial of strength, as of boxing.

    Synonyms:
    encounter, fray, match

  2. period; session; spell.

    a bout of illness.

  3. a turn at work or any action.

  4. a going and returning across a field, as in mowing or reaping.

bout British  
/ baʊt /

noun

    1. a period of time spent doing something, such as drinking

    2. a period of illness

  2. a contest or fight, esp a boxing or wrestling match

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bout

1535–45; variant of obsolete bought bend, turn, derivative of bow bow 1; bight

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Scottish Greens are hoping for their best election result ever at the upcoming Holyrood election, but have suffered bouts of infighting recently.

From BBC

You see people in their first 10 bouts where something dramatic can happen, or in their last 10.

From BBC

Anthropic’s Claude has been tied to several bouts of market panic.

From Barron's

Quantum stocks were notoriously volatile long before the recent bout of market instability.

From Barron's

“Your dad suffered a bout of indigestion, and compounded with all the stress he says he’s been under, it manifested as chest pain.”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.