put about
/pʊt əˈbaʊt/ · put·a·bout
verb
- To change direction, especially of a vessel, by turning it around. The captain ordered the crew to put about as the wind shifted.
- To circulate or spread (a rumour, news, etc.). She tried to put about the story before anyone could verify it.
adjective
- Disturbed; upset; in a state of agitation. He was put about by the sudden news of the layoffs.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? The phrase ‘put about’ was first used by English sailors in the 1580s, and its figurative sense of spreading gossip appears in Samuel Johnson’s 1755 dictionary.