having a circular cross section, as a cylinder; cylindrical.
spherical or globular, as a ball.
shaped more or less like a part of a sphere; hemispherical.
free from angularity; consisting of full, curved lines or shapes, as handwriting or parts of the body.
executed with or involving circular motion.
full, complete, or entire: a round dozen.
noting, formed, or expressed by an integer or whole number with no fraction.
expressed, given, or exact to the nearest multiple or power of ten; in tens, hundreds, thousands, or the like: in round numbers.
roughly correct; approximate: a round guess.
considerable in amount; ample: a round sum of money.
brought to completeness or perfection.
full and sonorous, as sound.
vigorous or brisk: a round trot.
straightforward, plain, or candid; outspoken: a round scolding.
positive or unqualified: a round assertion.
noun
any round shape, as a circle, ring or sphere.
a circular, ring-shaped, curved, or spherical object; a rounded form.
something circular in cross section, as a rung of a ladder or chair.
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.
any complete course, series, or succession: The strike was settled after a long round of talks; a round of parties.
Often rounds . a going around from place to place, as in a habitual or definite circuit: a doctor's rounds.
a completed course or spell of activity, commonly one of a series, in some play or sport: the second round of a tournament.
a recurring period of time, succession of events, duties, etc.: the daily round.
an entire range: the round of human capabilities.
a single outburst, as of applause or cheers.
a single discharge of shot by each of a number of guns, rifles, etc.
a single discharge by one firearm.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot.
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.
round dance.
movement in a circle or around an axis.
Cooking.
Also round of beef .the portion of the thigh of beef below the rump and above the leg.
Informal.round steak.
a slice, as of bread.
Archery. a specified number of arrows shot from a specified distance from the target in accordance with the rules.
one of a series of three-minute periods making up a boxing match: a 15-round bout.
Music.
a short, rhythmical canon at the unison, in which the several voices enter at equally spaced intervals of time.
rounds,the order followed in ringing a peal of bells in diatonic sequence from the highest to the lowest.
Golf. a playing of the complete course.
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
throughout or from the beginning to the end of a recurring period of time: all year round.
Also 'round . around: The music goes round and round.
preposition
throughout (a period of time): a resort visited all round the year.
around: It happened round noon.
verb (used with object)
to make round.
to free from angularity; fill out symmetrically; make plump.
to bring to completeness or perfection; finish.
Jewelry. to form (a gem) roughly (sometimes followed by up); girdle.
to end (a sentence, paragraph, etc.) with something specified: He rounded his speech with a particularly apt quotation.
to encircle or surround.
to make a complete circuit of; pass completely around.
to make a turn or partial circuit around or to the other side of: to round a corner.
to cause to move in a circle; turn around.
Phonetics.
to make the opening at (the lips) relatively round or pursed during an utterance.
to pronounce (a speech sound, especially a vowel) with rounded lips; labialize.
to contract (the lips) laterally.Compare spread (def. 14b), unround.
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)
to become round.
to become free from angularity; become plump.
to develop to completeness or perfection.
to take a circular course; make a circuit, as a guard.
to make a turn or partial circuit around something.
to turn around as on an axis: to round on one's heels.
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 Phrases
round off,
to complete or perfect; finish.
to express as a round number, usually to the nearest multiple of 10.
round out,
to complete or perfect: The new coin rounded out his collection.
to fill out; become rounder: She rounded out so nicely that everyone soon forgot she had been so ill.
round to,Nautical. to turn a sailing vessel in the direction from which the wind is blowing.
round up,
to drive or bring (cattle, sheep, etc.) together.
to assemble; gather: to round up all the suspects in an investigation.
Idioms for round
in the round,
(of a theater) having a stage completely surrounded by seats for the audience.
in the style of theater-in-the-round: The play should be done in the round.
in complete detail; from all aspects: a character as seen in the round.
(of sculpture) not attached to a supporting background; freestanding.
make the rounds,
to go from one place to another, as in making deliveries, paying social visits, or seeking employment.
Also go the rounds .to be reported or told; circulate: another rumor making the rounds.
Origin of round
1
1250–1300; (adj.) Middle English rond, round<Old French, stem of ront, earlier reont<Latin rotundus round, circular (see rotund); (noun) Middle English, partly derivative of the adj., partly <Old French rond, ronde (derivative of ront); (v.) Middle English, derivative of the adj.; (adv. and preposition) Middle English, apparently aphetic variant of around
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.