Content vs About - What's the difference?
content | about |
(uncountable) That which is contained.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)
, volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly)
, title= Subject matter; substance.
* Grew
The amount of material contained; contents.
Capacity for holding.
* (Francis Bacon)
(mathematics) The n''-dimensional space contained by an ''n''-dimensional polytope (called ''volume'' in the case of a polyhedron and ''area in the case of a polygon).
Satisfied; in a state of satisfaction.
*
*:This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking.He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.
Satisfaction; contentment
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) acquiescence without examination
* Alexander Pope
That which contents or satisfies; that which if attained would make one happy.
* Shakespeare
(UK, House of Lords) An expression of assent to a bill or motion; an affirmate vote.
(UK, House of Lords) A member who votes in assent.
To give contentment or satisfaction; to satisfy; to gratify; to appease.
* Bible, Mark xv. 15
* I. Watts
(obsolete) To satisfy the expectations of; to pay; to requite.
* Shakespeare
In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of.
* c.1604-1605 , (William Shakespeare), ''
* 1769 , '', iii, 3
Near; not far from; regarding approximately time, size, quantity.
* c.1590-1591 , (William Shakespeare),
* 1769 , '', xx, 3,
* 1769 , '', ix, 18
* , chapter=4
, title=[http://openlibrary.org/works/OL5535161W Mr. Pratt's Patients]
, passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
, title=[http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21581981-what-pollution-some-opportunity-others-welcome-plastisphere Welcome to the plastisphere]
, passage=[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria,
On the point or verge of.
* 1769 , '', xviii, 14
* 1866 , A treatise on the law of suits by attachment in the United States , by Charles Daniel Drake, [http://books.google.de/books?id=Igs-AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=%22was+about+leaving%22&source=bl&ots=aQXMZaxYAu&sig=T2wNto6m-YO2kSAwyWV-SivvnUw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YblHUKaUJc2LswbzkIHQDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22was%20about%20leaving%22&f=false page 80]
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1
, passage=I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.}}
On one's person; nearby the person.
* 1837 , , Ernest Maltravers: Volume 1
Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.
* 1671 , (John Milton),
* 1849 , (Thomas Babington Macaulay), The history of England from the accession of James the Second
Concerned with; engaged in; intent on.
* 1769 , '', ii, 49
* 2013 March 14, (Parks and Recreation)'', season 5, episode 16, ''Bailout :
Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of; to affect.
* 1671 (John Milton), ''(Samson Agonistes)
* 1860 , (Anthony Trollope), (Framley Parsonage)
* , chapter=4
, title=[http://openlibrary.org/works/OL5535161W Mr. Pratt's Patients]
, passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=70, magazine=(The Economist)
, title=[http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21579879-buy-out-firm-really-does-focus-operational-improvements-engineers Engineers of a different kind]
, passage=Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about , they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.}}
(label) In or near, as in mental faculties or (label) in possession of; in control of; at one's command; in one's makeup.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2
, passage=Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.
In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place.
*{{quote-book, year=1892, author=(James Yoxall)
, chapter=5, title=[http://openlibrary.org/works/OL10504990W The Lonely Pyramid]
, passage=The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom.
Not distant; approximate.
#On all sides; around.
#*1599 , , III-ii,
#*:Why, then, I see, ‘tis time to look about , / When every boy Alphonsus dares control.
#Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down.
#*1769 , King James Bible'', Oxford Standard text, '' , v,13,
#*:And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
#*
#*:He and Gerald usually challenged the rollers in a sponson canoe when Gerald was there for the weekend; or, when Lansing came down, the two took long swims seaward or cruised about in Gerald's dory, clad in their swimming-suits; and Selwyn's youth became renewed in a manner almost ridiculous,.
#Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost.
#:
#*1769 , King James Bible'', Oxford Standard text, '' , xxxii,28:
#*:And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
#*
#*:“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are'' pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling ''à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.”
#Near; in the vicinity.
In succession; one after another; in the course of events.
On the move; active; astir.
To a reversed order; half round; facing in the opposite direction; from a contrary point of view.
:
*1888 , ,
*:Mr. Carter, whose back had been turned, turned about and faced his niece.
#(lb) To the opposite tack.
(lb) Preparing; planning.
(lb) In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; in circumference.
:
*1886 , Duncan Keith, A history of Scotland: civil and ecclesiastical from the earliest times to the death of David I, 1153 , Vol.1,
*:Nothing daunted, the fleet put to sea, and after sailing about the island for some time, a landing was effected in the west of Munster.
Moving around; astir.
:
*1898 , , ,
*:'John, I have observed that you are often out and about of nights, sometimes as late as half past seven or eight.'
In existence; being in evidence; apparent;
*1975 , IPC Building & Contract Journals Ltd, Highways & road construction , Vol.43,
*:To my mind, transportation engineering is similar to flying in the 1930s — it has been about for some time but it has taken the present economic jolt to shake it out of its infancy, in the same way that the war started the development of flying to its current stage.
*2005 , IDG Communications, Digit , Issues 89-94,
*:Although it has been about for some time now, I like the typeface Sauna.
*2006 , Great Britain Parliament: House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Energy: Meeting With Malcolm Wicks MP ,
*:Is not this sudden interest in capturing CO2 — and it has been about for a little while — simply another hidey-hole for the government to creep into?
Normally active and capable.
:
In obsolete terms the difference between content and about
is that content is acquiescence without examination while about is preparing; planning.As adjectives the difference between content and about
is that content is satisfied; in a state of satisfaction while about is moving around; astir.As a noun content
is that which is contained.As a verb content
is to give contentment or satisfaction; to satisfy; to gratify; to appease.As a preposition about is
in a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of.As an adverb about is
not distant; approximate.content
English
(wikipedia content)Etymology 1
From (etyl) ; see contain.Noun
The tao of tech, passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content ", or
- I shall prove these writingsauthentic, and the contents true, and worthy of a divine original.
- Strong ships, of great content .
Etymology 2
From (etyl), from (etyl) content, from (etyl) ; see contain.Adjective
(en adjective)Derived terms
* contentmentSynonyms
* (satisfied) contented, pleased, satisfiedEtymology 3
From (etyl) , from (contenter); see content as a verb.Noun
(en noun)- They were in a state of sleepy content after supper.
- Such is the fullness of my heart's content .
- The sense they humbly take upon content .
- So will I in England work your grace's full content .
Derived terms
* discontent * malcontentEtymology 4
From (etyl) contenter, from ; see content as an adjective.Verb
(en verb)- You can't have any more - you'll have to content yourself with what you already have.
- Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them.
- Do not content yourselves with obscure and confused ideas, where clearer are to be attained.
- Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.
External links
* * English heteronyms ----about
English
(wikipedia about)Alternative forms
* (archaic) abowt; (abbreviation)Etymology 1
From (etyl) aboute, abouten, from (etyl)Preposition
(English prepositions)- So look about you; know you any here?
- Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
- Therefore I know she is about my height.
- And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace
- Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
- And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
- [It] was held, that the latter requirement was fulfilled by an affidavit declaring that "the defendant was about leaving the State permanently."
- (Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.)
- At this assurance the traveller rose, and approached Alice softly. He drew away her hands from her face, when she said gently, "Have you much money about you?"
- "Oh the mercenary baggage!" said the traveller to himself; and then replied aloud "Why, pretty one? Do you sell your kisses so high, then?"
- That heard the Adversary, who, roving still / About the world, at that assembly famed ...
- He had been known, during several years, as a small poet; and some of the most savage lampoons which were handed about the coffeehouses were imputed to him.
- And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
- RON: And I'll have the number 8.
- WAITER: That's a party platter, it serves 12 people.
- RON: I know what I'm about , son.
- I already have made way / To some Philistian lords, with whom to treat / About thy ransom.
- "I'll tell you what, Fanny: she must have her way about Sarah Thompson. You can see her to-morrow and tell her so."