# round

Pronunciation: say "ROWND" /ˈɹaʊnd/

## Adjective

1. Shaped like a circle, a ball, or a cylinder; curved all the way around.
   - Simple: Shaped like a circle or a ball.
   - _A round window lit the stairs._
   - _The pipes are round and made of clay._
8. Complete or whole, with nothing lacking.
   - Simple: Complete and full, with nothing missing.
   - _The box held a round dozen eggs, with not a single one missing._
   - _He paid a round thousand for the horse._
12. Returning to its starting point.
   - Simple: Going out and coming back to where you started.
   - _Buying a round trip ticket is usually cheaper than buying two one-way tickets._
   - _The trail is a five-mile round trip that ends where it starts._
22. Of a number, convenient to approximate other numbers to, typically ending in zero.
   - Simple: Describes a number that is easy to work with, usually one ending in zero.
   - _Fifty is a round figure for the estimate._
   - _Instead of $97.50, she wrote down a round number of one hundred dollars._
27. Of a fictional character, well-written and well-characterized, complex and reminiscent of a real person, as opposed to flat: a round character who changes over the novel.
   - Simple: Describes a character in a story who seems complex and real, not flat.
   - _Her heroines are round, her heroes flat._
   - _Writing a round character takes more than a list of traits._
17. Having a plump, full shape; slightly fat, with soft curves.
   - Simple: A little fat, with a soft, full shape.
   - _The chef was a cheerful, round little man who clearly enjoyed his own cooking._
   - _The park's pigeons were round and well fed, thanks to the tourists._
19. Curving gently rather than coming to sharp angles or corners.
   - Simple: Having smooth, gentle curves and no sharp corners.
   - _The phone's round corners make it comfortable to hold._
   - _The architect favored round, flowing lines over the hard angles of the older buildings._

## Noun

2. One stage in a competition, game, or quiz, often after which some players or teams are eliminated.
   - Simple: One stage of a competition, game, or quiz.
   - _The final round is played on Sunday._
   - _Sixteen teams reach the later rounds._
4. A serving of something, one portion to each person in a group.
   - Simple: One drink or portion of food for each person in a group.
   - _He bought a round for the whole bar._
   - _After the game, Mark bought a round of drinks for the whole team._
5. One of the fixed segments of time in a contest such as a boxing or wrestling match, during which the contestants fight.
   - Simple: In boxing and similar sports, one timed period of fighting.
   - _The bell ends the round._
   - _Championship bouts are scheduled for twelve rounds._
6. A firearm cartridge, bullet or other single projectile.
   - Simple: A single bullet or shell for a gun.
   - _A single round was found in the chamber._
   - _The magazine holds thirty rounds._
9. In golf, showjumping and similar sports, one complete circuit of the course.
   - Simple: In golf and similar sports, one complete trip around the course.
   - _A round takes about four hours._
   - _She shot two rounds under par._
10. A series of events, tasks, or activities that is regularly repeated; a cycle or routine.
   - Simple: A set of things that happen or are done again and again, like a daily routine.
   - _She loved watching the round of the seasons, from spring through winter and back again._
   - _The whole sad round of boom and bust began again that spring._
11. An object, or a section of one, with a circular or spherical form.
   - Simple: Something shaped like a circle or ball, or a part of one.
   - _Use a glass to cut a neat round from the rolled-out dough._
   - _She sliced the zucchini into thin rounds and laid them on the baking tray._
14. A circular or repetitious route.
   - Simple: A regular route with stops, done again and again.
   - _The guard's round took him past every door in the building twice a night._
   - _He did his rounds of the pubs every Friday._
24. A song sung by groups of people, each group starting at a different time so that the parts overlap.
   - Simple: A song in which groups start singing the same tune at different times.
   - _A round works because the tune fits against itself._
   - _Children learn rounds before they learn harmony._
25. A burst of sound from people gathered for an event, such as cheers, applause, or groans.
   - Simple: A burst of noise from a crowd, such as clapping.
   - _A round of cheers went up when the goal was announced._
   - _The joke earned a round of groans._
26. In butchery, a primal cut of beef from the rear leg, between the rump and the shank.
   - Simple: A cut of beef from the animal's back leg.
   - _Eye of round is lean and needs slow cooking._
   - _The round is the cheapest roasting cut._
18. A single slice cut from a loaf of bread. *(UK)*
   - Simple: One flat piece of bread cut from a loaf.
   - _He cut a thick round of bread and wiped his plate clean with it._
   - _Dad buttered four rounds of toast while the kettle boiled._
20. A single sandwich, made by putting a filling between two whole slices of bread.
   - Simple: One whole sandwich, made from two whole slices of bread with food in between.
   - _For lunch he packed a single round of cheese sandwiches and an apple._
   - _The caterer allowed two rounds of sandwiches per guest, each cut into quarters._

## Adverb

3. An alternative form of around: in a circle, so as to face the other way, from one person or place to another, or to a nearby place by an indirect way. — Alternative form of around.
   - Simple: Another word for around: in a circle, to each person in turn, facing the other way, or over to a nearby place.
   - _The carousel spun round and round until the music stopped._
   - _Her thoughts went round and round as she tried to fall asleep._

## Verb

7. With out, to finish or complete something, or fill it out.
   - Simple: Used with 'out', to finish something or make it complete.
   - _Two more signings would round out the squad._
   - _A green salad and some warm bread rounded out the meal nicely._
21. To approximate a number by the nearest whole number or another convenient one, especially a whole hundred or thousand.
   - Simple: To change a number to the nearest whole or simple number.
   - _Always round to two decimal places._
   - _The shop rounded every price down to the nearest dollar._
13. To make something curve or bend into a rounded shape.
   - Simple: To make something curved, especially at the edges.
   - _The carpenter used sandpaper to round the table's corners so the kids wouldn't get hurt._
   - _The stones were rounded by centuries of water._
15. To go around something such as a corner, an obstacle, a person, or (in baseball) a base.
   - Simple: To go around something, such as a corner, another player, or a base in baseball.
   - _She rounded two defenders and shot._
   - _If you round the goalkeeper, the net is empty._
23. With on, to turn and attack someone or something.
   - Simple: Used with 'on', to turn and attack someone suddenly.
   - _The minister rounded on her critics._
   - _Cornered animals round on the dogs._

## Preposition

16. Another form of around: on every side of, curving past, or moving about in. Less common in American English. — Alternative form of around.
   - Simple: Alternative form of around. It means the same thing, but Americans do not often use it.
   - _A delivery van came round the corner much too fast._
   - _Tourists wandered round the old town all afternoon._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Of a sum, large in amount.
- (noun) A volley in which every soldier in a body of troops fires a single shot.
- (adjective) Of a speech sound, pronounced with the lips drawn together.
- (adjective) Frank and blunt in speech, saying things plainly and holding nothing back.
- (adjective) Of a writer or style, smooth, polished and complete, with nothing clumsy or abrupt.
- (adjective) Of behavior, honest, fair and consistent.
- (adjective) Arched or curved overhead, as a vaulted ceiling.
- (noun) One measured amount of a medicine, given at one time.
- (noun) A paintbrush with long bristles gathered into a circular head, used with oil or acrylic paint.
- (noun) In card games, the play that follows a single deal.
- (noun) A curved edge cut or shaped along a corner, especially an outer one, to soften it and give a neat finish.
- (noun) A molding strip with a curved face, fitted over an edge, joint or gap for looks, hygiene or security.
- (noun) One of the steps or crossbars of a ladder.
- (noun) A crossbar fixed between chair legs to hold them steady, also called a stretcher.
- (noun) Something done by several people in turn, one after another, as though going around a circle.
- (noun) A dance in which the dancers move in a circle.
- (noun) A regular turnover in which people or things take turns, as in holding an office.
- (noun) A gathering or company of people.
- (noun) A cask used in brewing for the last stage of fermentation, letting the yeast froth out of the opening at its top.
- (noun) A full cup or other drinking vessel.
- (noun) A platform at the head of a ship's mast.
- (verb) To take on a bent or arched form, as a back or a line does.
- (verb) To surround or enclose on all sides.
- (verb) To fill out into a rounded shape, or by extension to reach a full or complete state.
- (verb) Of a doctor, to visit the patients on a hospital ward in turn, usually with a team.
- (verb) To patrol an area on a regular circuit, as a guard does.
- (verb) To turn about or wheel to face another way.
- (verb) To talk quietly or in secret, or to confer privately.
- (verb) To whisper to someone, or say something in a whisper.
- (noun) Quiet, breathy speech, or the act of speaking that way.
- (noun) Talk or song.

## Origin

From Middle English round, from Old Northern French roünt and Old French ront, reont (which became French rond), going back to Late Latin retundus and the original Latin rotundus. The noun came partly from the adjective and partly from the French noun rond. It is a doublet of 'rotund'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/round (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).