round

ROWND/ˈɹaʊnd/

Noun pluralrounds

Verbrounds, rounding, rounded

58 meanings of round

Practice

1
circularadjective
Shaped like a circle or a ball.
We sat at a round table.
The tower is round and very old.
Similarcircular, spherical, cylindrical
Oppositesquare, angular
2
contest stagenouncountable
One stage of a competition, game, or quiz.
The qualifying rounds start on Monday.
They were knocked out in the second round.
UsageSay a team was knocked out in the second round.
Similarstage
Note
3
all overadverb
Another word for around: in a circle, to each person in turn, facing the other way, or over to a nearby place.
The dog ran round and round in the yard.
The little wheel went round and round.
UsageMainly British: say turn round or come round.
Note
4
drinks for allnouncountable
One drink or portion of food for each person in a group.
They brought us a round of drinks every half hour.
It's my round, what are you having?
UsageSay buy a round, or it's my round.
Note
5
boxing periodnouncountable
In boxing and similar sports, one timed period of fighting.
He was knocked down in the fourth round.
The fight went twelve rounds.
UsageSay in the fourth round.
Note
6
bulletnouncountable
A single bullet or shell for a gun.
He fired three rounds into the air.
Every round must be accounted for.
UsageSay he fired three rounds.
Similarbullet, cartridge, shell
Note
7
fill outverbtransitive
Used with 'out', to finish something or make it complete.
She rounded out her education with a single math class.
A dessert will round out the meal.
UsageSay round out the day or round it out.
Similarcomplete, finish, conclude
Note
8
wholeadjective
Complete and full, with nothing missing.
The baker threw in an extra roll to make it a round dozen.
A round hundred came to the meeting.
UsageSay a round dozen.
Similarfull, whole, complete
Note
9
golf circuitnouncountable
In golf and similar sports, one complete trip around the course.
We played a round of golf before lunch.
The horse jumped a clear round.
UsageSay play a round of golf.
Note
10
cyclenouncountable
A set of things that happen or are done again and again, like a daily routine.
The round of the seasons never changes.
Her life was a round of parties and travel.
UsageSay a round of parties, or the round of the seasons.
Similarcycle, routine, circle, succession
Note
11
circle piecenouncountable
Something shaped like a circle or ball, or a part of one.
Put a thin round of cucumber on each cracker.
Cut the dough into a round and bake it.
UsageSay cut it into rounds.
Similarcircle, disc, slice, rung
Note
12
there and backadjective
Going out and coming back to where you started.
A round trip to the city costs forty dollars.
Our round trip to the lake took all day.
UsageSay round trip for going and coming back.
Similarcircular
Oppositeone-way
13
make curvedverbtransitive
To make something curved, especially at the edges.
He used sandpaper to round the sharp corners of the table.
Sand the wood to round the corners.
UsageOften round off the corners.
Similarcurl, curve, smooth, bend
Note
14
regular routenouncountable
A regular route with stops, done again and again.
The guards have started their nightly rounds.
The postman's round takes three hours.
UsageSay a doctor or guard does the rounds.
Similarcircuit, tour, beat, route
Note
15
turn (corner)verbtransitive
To go around something, such as a corner, another player, or a base in baseball.
He rounded the keeper and scored.
Wingers love to round the last defender.
Similarpass, skirt
Note
16
surroundingpreposition
Alternative form of around. It means the same thing, but Americans do not often use it.
We walked round the lake after lunch.
The serpent Error twines round human hearts.
1782, William Cowper, The Progress of ErrorHere, round means around.
Note
17
plumpadjective
A little fat, with a soft, full shape.
My uncle got a bit round after he stopped playing soccer.
Our cat is getting rounder because she eats too much.
Similarplump, chubby, rotund, portly, tubby
Oppositethin, slim, skinny
18
slice of breadnounUKcountable
One flat piece of bread cut from a loaf.
Can I have a round of toast with my egg?
Mum cut two rounds of bread for my soup.
UsageSay a round of toast for one slice.
Similarslice
19
curved edgesadjective
Having smooth, gentle curves and no sharp corners.
This table has round edges, so the kids won't hurt their heads.
Her handwriting is big and round.
Similarcurved
Oppositeangular, sharp
20
sandwichnouncountable
One whole sandwich, made from two whole slices of bread with food in between.
She made a round of ham sandwiches and cut it into four triangles.
The picnic needs at least ten rounds of sandwiches.
UsageSay a round of sandwiches.

Less common meanings

21
to the nearestverbtransitive or intransitive
To change a number to the nearest whole or simple number.
If you round 4.7, you get 5.
We can round the total to a hundred dollars.
UsageSay round up or round down, or round to the nearest ten.
Similarapproximate
22
neat numberadjective
Describes a number that is easy to work with, usually one ending in zero.
Just give me a round number, like ten or twenty.
Call it a round thousand and we're done.
UsageSay a round number, like ten or a hundred.
Similareven, approximate
Oppositeexact, precise
23
attack suddenlyverbintransitive
Used with 'on', to turn and attack someone suddenly.
One of the policemen rounded on him and grabbed his arm.
Don't round on me, I only asked.
UsageSay round on someone.
Similarturn, attack
24
overlapping songnouncountable
A song in which groups start singing the same tune at different times.
Row, row, row your boat is a round.
The choir warmed up with two rounds.
Similarcanon
Note
25
crowd outburstnouncountable
A burst of noise from a crowd, such as clapping.
Her funny story got a round of laughter from the guests.
Let's have a round of applause for the band.
UsageSay a round of applause.
Similarburst, outburst, wave, volley
26
beef cutnoununcountable
A cut of beef from the animal's back leg.
A round of beef will feed the whole family.
Ask the butcher for top round.
UsageSay top round or eye of round.
27
story characteradjective
Describes a character in a story who seems complex and real, not flat.
The villain is the only round character in the book.
A round character surprises the reader convincingly.
Similarcomplex
Oppositeflat
28
adjectivedated
Used about a sum of money that is large.
I have a good banker in this city, but I would not wish to draw upon the house until the time when I shall draw for a round sum.
1855, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit
29
noun
A firing of guns in which every soldier in a group shoots once.
30
adjective
In phonetics, said with the lips pushed together, like the oo in moon.
31
adjective
Speaking plainly and honestly, without holding back.
32
adjective
Of writing, smooth and well finished.
33
adjectiveobsolete
Of behavior, fair, honest and steady.
Round dealing is the honour of man's nature.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Truth”
34
adjective
Shaped like an arch overhead.
35
noun
One dose of medicine.
36
noun
A paintbrush with long hairs bunched into a round head, used with oil or acrylic paint.
37
noun
In card games, the turns everyone takes once cards are handed out.
38
noun
A smooth curved edge cut on a corner.
39
noun
A strip with a rounded front, used to hide an edge or gap.
40
noundated
One of the bars you climb on a ladder.
All the rounds like Jacob's ladder rise.
1687, [John Dryden], The Hind and the Panther
41
noun
A bar between chair legs that holds them steady.
42
noun
Something people do one after another, taking turns.
43
noun
A dance done in a circle.
44
noun
Taking turns, as in holding a job.
45
noun
A group of people together.
46
noun
A barrel where beer finishes fermenting, with yeast frothing out of a hole at the top.
47
nounarchaic
A full cup to drink from.
48
noun
A platform near the top of a ship's mast.
49
verb
To start to bend into an arc.
50
verb
To surround something on all sides.
51
verb
To become rounder or fuller, or to reach a complete state.
52
verbcolloquial
Of a doctor, to visit each patient in a hospital ward.
53
verbobsolete
To walk around a place checking it, like a guard.
54
verbobsolete
To turn around.
55
verbarchaicNorthern EnglandScotland
To whisper or talk secretly.
56
verbarchaicNorthern EnglandScotland
To whisper something to someone.
57
nounarchaicNorthern EnglandScotland
Very quiet talk.
58
nounarchaicNorthern EnglandScotland
Talk or a song.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of round apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old French words like ront and runt, which came from Latin rotundus and Late Latin retundus. It is a doublet of 'rotund'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Round derives from Old French forms including ront and runt. en.wiktionary.org
The Old French forms trace back to Latin rotundus through Late Latin retundus. en.wiktionary.org
Round and rotund are doublets. en.wiktionary.org