Word of the Day:

August 14, 2024

gadabout

noun GAD-uh-bout

What it Means

A gadabout is a person who flits about in social activity, as by going to many places and social events for pleasure.

// She was a gadabout who was rarely home, and her tiny apartment was cluttered with playbills and other souvenirs of her adventures.

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Gadabout in Context

"The wild career of David Johansen—New York Dolls frontman, punk gadabout, occasional actor, and Buster Poindexter portrayer—will be the focus of an upcoming documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese." — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023

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Did You Know?

If you had to pick an insect most closely related to a gadabout, you might wryly guess the "social butterfly." But there's another bug that's commonly heard buzzing around discussions of the gadabout: the gadfly. Gadfly is a term used for any of a number of winged pests (such as horseflies) that bite or annoy livestock. But, although a gadabout's gossip can bite, gadfly doesn't have any clear etymological relation to gadabout. This word, which comes from the English phrase "gad about," traces back to the Middle English verb gadden, meaning "to be on the go without a specific aim or purpose." That word's source hasn't left a trail.

Test Your Vocabulary

What word begins with "r" and ends in "-about" and has been used to refer to deckhands, longshoremen, and certain circus workers (such as those who set up and break down tents, and handle animals)?

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