: a spell or period of activity: such as
a
: an athletic match (as of boxing)
lost his bout with the champion
b
: outbreak, attack
a bout of pneumonia
frequent bouts of depression
survived her bout with cancer
c
: session
a drinking bout
a bout of unemployment

Examples of bout in a Sentence

undoubtedly the team's best wrestler, he hasn't lost a bout yet she's currently suffering from a bout of the flu
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In fact, Wall Street fears Trump may even ignite the next bout of inflation due to his profligate fiscal proposals. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024 In the past few years, some parts of the country have experienced unseasonably harsh winters or unexpected bouts of extreme cold with temperatures low enough to trigger severe one to two Raynaud’s attacks in a week, Bush said. John Loeppky, Verywell Health, 31 Oct. 2024 By consistently measuring the solar wind’s temperature and speed in this region for the first time, CODEX scientists hope to improve their understanding of what accelerates and heats it up–and what sometimes causes highly energetic bursts of particles to crash into Earth in bouts of space weather. Byhannah Richter, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024 The gilt market remained relatively stable compared to past bouts of turbulence in recent years. Jenni Reid, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bout 

Word History

Etymology

English dialect, a trip going and returning in plowing, from Middle English bought bend

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bout was in 1575

Dictionary Entries Near bout

Cite this Entry

“Bout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bout. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bout

noun
1
: a spell of activity
nonstop bout of reading
2
: an athletic match
wrestling bout
3
: attack entry 2 sense 3
a bout of measles

More from Merriam-Webster on bout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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