(stress var.), adv., sb. [f. prec. + advb. -s: cf. HEREABOUTS, THEREABOUTS.]
1. a. interrog. = prec. 1 a. Also fig.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 167. Sonne, wheraboutes art þow?
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, II. v. N j b. Wheraboutes is our hostes house?
1621. I. C., in T. Bedford’s Sin unto Death, ¶ vj. Except they know … whereabouts the daunger is.
1648. Duppa, Soules Solil., 2. Many … go away informed … where abouts the Spleen lies, or where the Liver.
1791. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), I. 357. I ask him whereabouts he is with the claims of the German Princes.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., liii. Whereabouts were your apartments, Mr. Pickwick?
1893. Selous, Trav. S. E. Africa, 97. The natives pointed out to me whereabouts they passed in the valley below.
† b. rel. About the amount at which. (Cf. THEREABOUTS 2 b.) Obs. rare.
1766. J. Ingersoll, Lett. rel. Stamp-Act, 6, note. The Parliament have … settled the above Duties just whereabouts they are stated in the above Letter.
† 2. interrog. and rel. = prec. 2 a, b. Obs.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, I. i. D j. What studyeth he .i. wheraboutes gothe he?
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 224. Neyther had I any thing at all, where abouts to occupie my penne.
1630. Bedell, in Ussher’s Life, etc. (1686), 452. Only he labours about Kildromfarten: Whereabouts I purposed to have spoken with your Grace.
3. as sb. [from 1.] = prec. 4. Also fig.
1795. T. Twining, Lett. to Parr, 15 Feb., in P.’s Wks. (1828), VIII. 273. By way of giving you the whereabouts of my present political opinions.
1836. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Scot. Yard. Not all his knowledge of the history of the past … may help him to the whereabouts … of Scotland-yard.
1878. Bayne, Purit. Rev., i. 12. Bunyan wrote the Pilgrim’s Progress … without giving a hint of his ecclesiastical whereabouts.
1903. Times, 3 May, 3/6. The prisoner … succeeded in concealing his whereabouts.
