round

¹

[ round ]

adjective

, round·er, round·est.

1. having a flat, circular surface, as a disk.

   Antonyms: angular

2. ring-shaped, as a hoop.
3. curved like part of a circle, as an outline.
4. having a circular cross section, as a cylinder; cylindrical.
5. spherical or globular, as a ball.
6. shaped more or less like a part of a sphere; hemispherical.
7. free from angularity; consisting of full, curved lines or shapes, as handwriting or parts of the body.
8. executed with or involving circular motion.
9. full, complete, or entire:

   a round dozen.

   Synonyms: unbroken, whole

10. noting, formed, or expressed by an integer or whole number with no fraction.
11. expressed, given, or exact to the nearest multiple or power of ten; in tens, hundreds, thousands, or the like:

    in round numbers.

12. roughly correct; approximate:

    a round guess.

13. considerable in amount; ample:

    a round sum of money.

14. brought to completeness or perfection.
15. full and sonorous, as sound.
16. vigorous or brisk:

    a round trot.

17. straightforward, plain, or candid; outspoken:

    a round scolding.

18. positive or unqualified:

    a round assertion.

noun

1. any round shape, as a circle, ring or sphere.
2. a circular, ring-shaped, curved, or spherical object; a rounded form.

   Synonyms: cylinder

3. something circular in cross section, as a rung of a ladder or chair.
4. Sometimes rounds. a completed course of time, series of events or operations, etc., ending at a point corresponding to that at the beginning:

   We waited through the round of many years.

   Synonyms: period, revolution, cycle

5. any complete course, series, or succession:

   The strike was settled after a long round of talks; a round of parties.

6. Often rounds. a going around from place to place, as in a habitual or definite circuit:

   a doctor's rounds.

7. a completed course or spell of activity, commonly one of a series, in some play or sport:

   the second round of a tournament.

8. a recurring period of time, succession of events, duties, etc.:

   the daily round.

9. an entire range:

   the round of human capabilities.

10. a single outburst, as of applause or cheers.
11. a single discharge of shot by each of a number of guns, rifles, etc.
12. a single discharge by one firearm.
13. a charge of ammunition for a single shot.
14. a single serving, especially of drink, made more or less simultaneously to everyone present, as at table or at a bar:

    The next round is on me.

15. round dance.
16. movement in a circle or around an axis.
17. Cooking.
    1. Also round of beef. the portion of the thigh of beef below the rump and above the leg.
    2. Informal. round steak.
18. a slice, as of bread.
19. Archery. a specified number of arrows shot from a specified distance from the target in accordance with the rules.
20. one of a series of three-minute periods making up a boxing match:

    a 15-round bout.

21. Music.
    1. a short, rhythmical canon at the unison, in which the several voices enter at equally spaced intervals of time.
    2. rounds, the order followed in ringing a peal of bells in diatonic sequence from the highest to the lowest.
22. Golf. a playing of the complete course.
23. Cards. a division of play in a game, consisting of a turn each for every player to bid, bet, play a card, deal the cards, or be dealt cards.

adverb

1. throughout or from the beginning to the end of a recurring period of time:

   all year round.

2. Also 'round. around:

   The music goes round and round.

preposition

1. throughout (a period of time):

   a resort visited all round the year.

2. around:

   It happened round noon.

verb (used with object)

1. to make round.
2. to free from angularity; fill out symmetrically; make plump.
3. to bring to completeness or perfection; finish.
4. Jewelry. to form (a gem) roughly (sometimes followed by up ); girdle.
5. to end (a sentence, paragraph, etc.) with something specified:

   He rounded his speech with a particularly apt quotation.

6. to encircle or surround.
7. to make a complete circuit of; pass completely around.
8. to make a turn or partial circuit around or to the other side of:

   to round a corner.

9. to cause to move in a circle; turn around.
10. Phonetics.
    1. to make the opening at (the lips) relatively round or pursed during an utterance.
    2. to pronounce (a speech sound, especially a vowel) with rounded lips; labialize.
    3. to contract (the lips) laterally. Compare spread ( def 14b ), unround.
11. Mathematics. to replace by the nearest multiple of 10, with 5 being increased to the next highest multiple: 15,837 can be rounded to 15,840; then to 15,800; then to 16,000.

verb (used without object)

1. to become round.
2. to become free from angularity; become plump.
3. to develop to completeness or perfection.
4. to take a circular course; make a circuit, as a guard.
5. to make a turn or partial circuit around something.
6. to turn around as on an axis:

   to round on one's heels.

7. to reduce successively the number of digits to the right of the decimal point of a mixed number by dropping the final digit and adding 1 to the next preceding digit if the dropped digit was 5 or greater, or leaving the preceding digit unchanged if the dropped digit was 4 or less.

verb phrase

1. Nautical. to turn a sailing vessel in the direction from which the wind is blowing.
2. 1. to complete or perfect:

      The new coin rounded out his collection.

   2. to fill out; become rounder:

      She rounded out so nicely that everyone soon forgot she had been so ill.

3. 1. to drive or bring (cattle, sheep, etc.) together.
   2. to assemble; gather:

      to round up all the suspects in an investigation.

4. 1. to complete or perfect; finish.
   2. to express as a round number, usually to the nearest multiple of 10.

round

²

[ round ]

verb (used with or without object)

, Archaic.

1. to whisper.

round

/ raʊnd /

adjective

1. having a flat circular shape, as a disc or hoop
2. having the shape of a sphere or ball
3. curved; not angular
4. involving or using circular motion
5. prenominal complete; entire

   a round dozen

6. maths
   1. forming or expressed by an integer or whole number, with no fraction
   2. expressed to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand

      in round figures

7. (of a sum of money) considerable; ample
8. fully depicted or developed, as a character in a book
9. full and plump

   round cheeks

10. (of sound) full and sonorous
11. (of pace) brisk; lively
12. prenominal (of speech) candid; straightforward; unmodified

    a round assertion

13. (of a vowel) pronounced with rounded lips

noun

1. a round shape or object
2. in the round
   1. in full detail
   2. theatre with the audience all round the stage
3. a session, as of a negotiation

   a round of talks

4. a series, cycle, or sequence

   a giddy round of parties

5. the daily round
   the usual activities of one's day
6. a stage of a competition

   he was eliminated in the first round

7. often plural a series of calls, esp in a set order

   a doctor's rounds

   a milkman's round

8. a playing of all the holes on a golf course
9. a single turn of play by each player, as in a card game
10. one of a number of periods constituting a boxing, wrestling, or other match, each usually lasting three minutes
11. archery a specified number of arrows shot from a specified distance
12. a single discharge by a number of guns or a single gun
13. a bullet, blank cartridge, or other charge of ammunition
14. a number of drinks bought at one time for a group of people
15. a single slice of bread or toast or two slices making a single serving of sandwiches
16. a general outburst of applause, cheering, etc
17. movement in a circle or around an axis
18. music a part song in which the voices follow each other at equal intervals at the same pitch
19. a sequence of bells rung in order of treble to tenor Compare change
20. a dance in which the dancers move in a circle
21. a cut of beef from the thigh between the rump and the shank
22. go the rounds or make the rounds
    1. to go from place to place, as in making deliveries or social calls
    2. (of information, rumour, etc) to be passed around, so as to be generally known

preposition

1. surrounding, encircling, or enclosing

   a band round her head

2. on all or most sides of

   to look round one

3. on or outside the circumference or perimeter of

   the stands round the racecourse

4. situated at various points in

   a lot of shelves round the house

5. from place to place in

   driving round Ireland

6. somewhere in or near

   to stay round the house

7. making a circuit or partial circuit about

   the ring road round the town

8. reached by making a partial circuit about something

   the shop round the corner

9. revolving round a centre or axis

   the earth's motion round its axis

10. so as to have a basis in

    the story is built round a good plot

adverb

1. on all or most sides

   the garden is fenced all round

   the crowd gathered round

2. on or outside the circumference or perimeter

   the racing track is two miles round

3. in all directions from a point of reference

   he owns the land for ten miles round

4. to all members of a group

   pass the food round

5. in rotation or revolution

   the wheels turn round

6. by a circuitous route

   the road to the farm goes round by the pond

7. to a specific place

   she came round to see me

8. all year round
   throughout the year; in every month

verb

1. to make or become round
2. tr to encircle; surround
3. to move or cause to move with circular motion

   to round a bend

4. tr
   1. to pronounce (a speech sound) with rounded lips
   2. to purse (the lips)

round

1. A song that can be begun at different times by different singers, but with harmonious singing ( see harmony ) as the result. “ Row, Row, Row Your Boat ” is a round.

Usage

See around

Derived Forms

• ˈroundness, noun

Other Words From

• roundness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of round¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective round(e), roende, rount, from Old French, ront, earlier reont, from Vulgar Latin retondus (unattested), from Latin rotundus “wheel-shaped, round, circular”; Middle English noun partly derivative of the adjective, partly from Old French rond, ronde (derivative of ront ); Middle English verb derivative of the adjective; Middle English adverb and preposition apparently shortened variant of around; rotund

Origin of round²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English rounen, rounne, rounde, ronde “to speak softly, whisper, gossip,” Old English rūnian “to talk low, whisper, mutter,” derivative of rūn “a secret conversation, consultation, counsel”; excrescent -d as in sound; rune ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of round¹

C13: from Old French ront , from Latin rotundus round, from rota a wheel

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the round,
   1. (of a theater) having a stage completely surrounded by seats for the audience.
   2. in the style of theater-in-the-round:

      The play should be done in the round.

   3. in complete detail; from all aspects:

      a character as seen in the round.

   4. (of sculpture) not attached to a supporting background; freestanding.
2. make the rounds,
   1. to go from one place to another, as in making deliveries, paying social visits, or seeking employment.
   2. Also go the rounds. to be reported or told; circulate:

      another rumor making the rounds.

More idioms and phrases containing round

• all year round
• bring around (round)
• come around (round)
• get around (round)
• in round numbers
• in the round
• make the rounds
• other way round
• pull round
• rally around
• around

Example Sentences

Like last year, the Lakers will have to survive group play to advance to the knockout round stage.

From Los Angeles Times

The first round of NBA Cup games are this week, with the defending-champion Lakers squaring off against the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday night.

From Los Angeles Times

Dart, 28, has reached a career-high ranking of 59 recently on the strength of reaching the Wimbledon third round, while 32-year-old Watson remains a dependable presence.

From BBC

Crusius, 21 years old, with wavy dark brown hair, sparse stubble collecting on his round chin, was awkward and introverted.

From Salon

But again, the depression hit when her baby was three months old, and despite the best efforts of her family they said this time round it was even worse.

From BBC

Related Words

• bend
• loop