I. where ‧ a ‧ bouts 1 /ˌweərəˈbaʊts◂ $ ˈwerəbaʊts/ BrE AmE adverb spoken
used to ask in what general area something or someone is:
Whereabouts do you live?
II. where ‧ a ‧ bouts 2 /ˈweərəbaʊts $ ˈwer-/ BrE AmE noun [plural]
the place or area where someone or something is:
He showed great reluctance to reveal his whereabouts.
whereabouts of
The police want to know the whereabouts of his brother.
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THESAURUS
▪ place a point or area, especially one that you visit or use for a particular purpose:
He’s been to lots of places.
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a good meeting place
▪ position the exact place where someone or something is, in relation to other things:
She showed me the position of the village on the map.
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I changed the position of the mirror slightly.
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Jessica moved to a position where she could see the stage better.
▪ point a particular place on a line or surface:
At this point the path gets narrower.
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No cars are allowed beyond this point.
▪ spot a place, especially a particular kind of place, or a place where something happens. Spot sounds rather informal:
She chose a sunny spot.
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The area is a favourite spot for windsurfers.
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This is the exact spot where I asked her to marry me.
▪ location a place where someone or something is, or where something happens. Location sounds more formal than place :
your exact location
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The prisoners were taken to an undisclosed location.
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an ideal location for a winter break
▪ site a place, especially one that will be used for a particular purpose, or where something important happened:
the site of a great battle
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There are plans to develop the site for housing.
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The area has become a dumping site for nuclear waste.
▪ venue a place where something such as a meeting, concert, game etc takes place:
the venue for the next Olympic Games
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The hotel is a popular wedding venue.
▪ scene the place where something bad such as an accident or crime happened:
the scene of the crime
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Ambulance crews were at the scene within minutes.
▪ setting the place and the area around it, where something is or where something happens:
The hotel is in a beautiful setting.
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the setting for the film ‘A Room With a View’
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Beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting for outdoor dining.
▪ somewhere used for talking about a place when you are not sure exactly which place:
She came from somewhere in London.
▪ whereabouts the place where someone or something is – used especially when you do not know this or do not want to tell people:
The whereabouts of the painting is unknown.
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He refused to disclose his whereabouts.
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I’m not sure about her whereabouts.