A person who wanders around aimlessly or spends a lot of time going to social events and parties.
Compound word from 'gad' (to wander restlessly) plus 'about,' first recorded in the 1700s. 'Gad' itself may derive from the exclamation 'gadso,' a euphemistic oath, but its exact origin is unclear.
During the Victorian era, calling someone a 'gadabout' was a way of subtly criticizing their lifestyle—especially women who went out without chaperones—so the word reveals what society considered proper behavior back then.
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