Around vs. About

• They sat around the fire.
• She walked around the house.

British people also use around to talk about going to all or most parts of a place, or giving things to everybody in a group.

• We walked around the town. (=We went to almost all parts of the town.)
• Could you pass the cups around, please?

Around and about

Around and about can both be used to mean here and there, some where in, in most parts of or similar ideas. They don’t suggest a definite or clear movement or position.

• Children usually rush about/around .
• The prince went riding about/around the country.
• Where is Peter? He must be somewhere around/about.

Around/about can also mean approximately.

• She earns around/about $300 a month.
• Around/about fifty people were present at the meeting.