bout
BOWT
/baʊt/
A short period of intense activity of a specified kind; a wrestling or boxing match.
It can refer to a sports match or a period of illness (e.g., a bout of flu).
The story behind the word. From the Middle English 'bought,' meaning a 'bend' or 'loop.' It originally referred to a turn or a circuit, and eventually came to mean a 'turn' at fighting or a 'round' of activity.
Word relationships
- match: Match is a general term; bout is more specific to combat sports or periods of activity.
- spell: Spell refers to a period of time, while bout implies more intensity or conflict.
Commonly confused with
- round: A round is a single segment of a fight; a bout is the entire match.
Collocations
- championship bout
- bout of flu
- brief bout
Example sentences
- "The heavyweight bout lasted only three rounds before a knockout was delivered." Describing a championship fight.
- "She missed two weeks of training due to a severe bout of pneumonia." Referring to illness.
Memory hook
You 'bow' before and after a 'bout' in many martial arts. Bout = A turn at fighting.
When not to use
Don't use it for a long, drawn-out war; it implies a short, contained event.
Fun facts
- The word 'bight' (a curve in a coastline) comes from the same root as 'bout.'
Explore more words
skirmish, recuperate, acute, championship, tournament, outbreak
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