roundabout

American  

[round-uh-bout, round-uh-bout, round-uh-bout] / ˌraʊnd əˈbaʊt, ˈraʊnd əˌbaʊt, ˈraʊnd əˌbaʊt /

adjective

1. circuitous or indirect, as a road, journey, method, statement or person.

   Synonyms:

   tortuous, tortuous, rambling, rambling

2. (of clothing) cut circularly at the bottom; having no tails, train, or the like.

---

noun

1. a short, close-fitting coat or jacket worn by men or boys, especially in the 19th century.

2. British. a merry-go-round.

3. a circuitous or indirect road, method, etc.

4. Chiefly British. traffic circle.

roundabout British  

/ ˈraʊndəˌbaʊt /

noun

1. a revolving circular platform provided with wooden animals, seats, etc, on which people ride for amusement; merry-go-round

2. US and Canadian name: traffic circle.  a road junction in which traffic streams circulate around a central island

3. an informal name for boring mill

---

adjective

1. indirect or circuitous; devious

adverb

1. on all sides

   spectators standing round about

2. approximately

   at round about 5 o'clock

Etymology

Origin of roundabout

1525–35; round ¹ (adv.) + about

Example Sentences

About 20 miles south of downtown Cincinnati, the new Publix sits just past a roundabout at the front entrance of a glitzy subdivision known as Triple Crown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Italian Jonathan Milan was expected to be in the frame for the stage win but crashed heavily at a roundabout 1,500m from the end.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Dunn came to this club in a roundabout way.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

When it went before the council in March 2025 councillors voted against a recommendation to refuse the application for the site off the Rhydycar West roundabout, which was previously mining areas for coal and ironstone.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

In truth, Pearl had never had the courage to ask Mia directly about her origins, and Mia had deflected her roundabout questions with ease.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng