put about

present singular third person puts about · participle present putting about

1. intransitivenauticalTo change direction.

   It had been incurred by a little fellow, young, a novice, an afterguardsman absent from his assigned post when the ship was being put about.

   1886, Herman Melville, Billy Budd

2. transitiveTo circulate, spread or disseminate.

   to put about a rumour

   1 more example

   We are out to make big money this time and Bronsky will be useful. He can give us facilities for getting the stuff away and for putting it about on a scale that no one else could offer.

   1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London

comparative more put about · superlative most put about

1. dateddisturbed; upset

   I asked for a card, please, and she was quite put about, and said that she didn't require tickets to get in where she visited.

   1878, Mrs. James Mason, All about Edith, page 124