"cast about" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cast",
        "3": "about",
        "t1": "to try"
      },
      "expansion": "cast (“to try”) + about",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "becast",
        "t": "to cast about, plot"
      },
      "expansion": "becast (“to cast about, plot”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "costian",
        "t": "to try, examine"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English costian (“to try, examine”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cast"
      },
      "expansion": "cast",
      "name": "l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "costen"
      },
      "expansion": "costen",
      "name": "l"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From cast (“to try”) + about, perhaps dissimulated from becast (“to cast about, plot”). Compare also Old English costian (“to try, examine”). More at cast, costen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "casts about",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "casting about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cast about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cast about",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cast<,,cast> about"
      },
      "expansion": "cast about (third-person singular simple present casts about, present participle casting about, simple past and past participle cast about)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (about)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The hounds cast about for the fox's trail."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To try to find; look around; search."
      ],
      "id": "en-cast_about-en-verb-yLjmX-Rs",
      "links": [
        [
          "try",
          "try"
        ],
        [
          "find",
          "find"
        ],
        [
          "look",
          "look"
        ],
        [
          "search",
          "search"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To try to find; look around; search."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To plan; plot; contrive."
      ],
      "id": "en-cast_about-en-verb-ZO5do4i9",
      "links": [
        [
          "plan",
          "plan"
        ],
        [
          "plot",
          "plot"
        ],
        [
          "contrive",
          "contrive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To plan; plot; contrive."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "cast about"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English compound terms",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (about)",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cast",
        "3": "about",
        "t1": "to try"
      },
      "expansion": "cast (“to try”) + about",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "becast",
        "t": "to cast about, plot"
      },
      "expansion": "becast (“to cast about, plot”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "costian",
        "t": "to try, examine"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English costian (“to try, examine”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cast"
      },
      "expansion": "cast",
      "name": "l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "costen"
      },
      "expansion": "costen",
      "name": "l"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From cast (“to try”) + about, perhaps dissimulated from becast (“to cast about, plot”). Compare also Old English costian (“to try, examine”). More at cast, costen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "casts about",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "casting about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cast about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cast about",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cast<,,cast> about"
      },
      "expansion": "cast about (third-person singular simple present casts about, present participle casting about, simple past and past participle cast about)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The hounds cast about for the fox's trail."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To try to find; look around; search."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "try",
          "try"
        ],
        [
          "find",
          "find"
        ],
        [
          "look",
          "look"
        ],
        [
          "search",
          "search"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To try to find; look around; search."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To plan; plot; contrive."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "plan",
          "plan"
        ],
        [
          "plot",
          "plot"
        ],
        [
          "contrive",
          "contrive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To plan; plot; contrive."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "cast about"
}