put about

put about (third-person singular simple present puts about, present participle putting about, simple past and past participle put about)

1. (intransitive, nautical) To change direction.
   • 1886, Herman Melville, Billy Budd:

     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.

2. (transitive) To circulate, spread or disseminate.

   to put about a rumour

   • 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:

     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.

• put it about
• put oneself about

put about (comparative more put about, superlative most put about)

1. (dated) disturbed; upset
   • 1878, Mrs. James Mason, All about Edith, page 124:

     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.