I. |bau̇t, |bət preposition
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English būtan without, except — more at but
dialect England : without
he came bout a hat
II. ˈbau̇t, usu -au̇d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration of bought (bend)
1.
a. dialect Britain : a trip going and returning in plowing or mowing : turn
b. : a course or round of knitting
c. dialect chiefly England : time , occasion
won't be caught napping this bout
2. : a spell of activity or a period of action having a definite beginning and end: as
a. : a contest or match especially of boxing, wrestling, fencing : turn
a bout at cudgels
b. : outburst , attack , siege
bouts of bad temper
drinking bout
a bout of fever
c. : session
long bouts of stubborn argument
3. : one of the six sections or ribs comprising the side walls of the body of a stringed instrument (as a violin) ; sometimes : the waist section only
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to plow (a field) by bouts