bout

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A contest between antagonists; a match.
• noun A period of time spent in a particular way; a spell.

from The Century Dictionary.

• About.
• Same as but.
• noun A turn, loop, coil, or knot, as in a rope or chain; a bend or flexure.
• noun The part of a sling that contains the stone.
• noun A going and returning, as in plowing, reaping, etc.; hence, as much of an action as is performed at one time; a single part of an action which is carried on at successive intervals.
• noun A round at anything, as in some contest; a set-to; a trial: as, a bout at single-stick or fisticuffs.
• noun A round of indulgence, as in drink: as, a drunken bout.
• noun A turn or fit of illness: as, a severe bout of rheumatism.
• noun In music, an inward curve of a rib of an instrument of the violin kind, by which the waist is formed.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun As much of an action as is performed at one time; a going and returning, as of workmen in reaping, mowing, etc.; a turn; a round.
• noun A conflict; contest; attempt; trial; a set-to at anything.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• preposition colloquial about
• noun A period of something, usually painful or unpleasant
• noun boxing A boxing match.
• noun fencing An assault (a fencing encounter) at which the score is kept.
• noun A fighting competition.
• noun music A bulge or widening in a musical instrument, such as either of the two characteristic bulges of a guitar.
• noun dated The going and returning of a plough, or other implement used to mark the ground and create a headland, across a field.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun an occasion for excessive eating or drinking
• noun a contest or fight (especially between boxers or wrestlers)
• noun (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive
• noun a period of illness