round

¹ American  

[round] / raʊnd /

adjective

rounder, roundest

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.

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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 byup ); 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.

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. round to to turn a sailing vessel in the direction from which the wind is blowing.

2. round out

   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. round up

   1. to drive or bring (cattle, sheep, etc.) together.

   2. to assemble; gather.

      to round up all the suspects in an investigation.

4. round off

   1. to complete or perfect; finish.

   2. to express as a round number, usually to the nearest multiple of 10.

idioms

1. 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.

2. 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.

round ² American  

[round] / raʊnd /

verb (used with or without object)

Archaic.

1. to whisper.

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round British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a round shape or object

2. 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 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. 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. 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 Cultural  

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.

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round More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing round

• all year round
• around
• 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

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Other Word Forms

• roundness
  noun

Etymology

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; see 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; see also rune ¹

Explanation

Round things are either shaped like circles or have curves, like a baby's round belly or a round basketball. A cookie is usually round, and so is Santa Claus. When you use round as a verb, it means to form something into a circular or spherical shape: "Round the dough and then press it into the pan." In math, round means to go up or down to the nearest whole number: "Round the bill up before you figure out how much to tip your server." The Latin root, rotundus, means "like a wheel."

Example Sentences

A Met Police chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear team was seen near the park's bandstand on Friday and police divers were spotted near the Round Pond ornamental lake.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Round number theory has come into play here as the price broke above a bear flag right at the $100 level this week.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Hays was an angel investor; he founded the fundraising and banking platform Capital, formerly known as Party Round, and the advertising network Branded Native.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

His spoken recitations make such detailed vintage poems as “The Round Corral” and “Cattle” effortless to follow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Round after round, this strategy seemed to be working for me.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

• bout
• course
• lap
• performance
• period
• schedule
• series
• session
• tour