around

[uh-round]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR around ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

in a circle, ring, or the like; so as to surround a person, group, thing, etc.: The crowd gathered around.

on all sides; about: His land is fenced all around.

in all directions from a center or point of reference: He owns the land for miles around.

in a region or area neighboring a place: all the country around.

in circumference: The tree was 40 inches around.

in a circular or rounded course: to fly around and around.

through a sequence or series, as of places or persons: to show someone around.

through a recurring period, as of time, especially to the present or a particular time: when spring rolls around again.

by a circuitous or roundabout course: The driveway to the house goes around past the stables.

to a place or point, as by a circuit or circuitous course: to get around into the navigable channel.

with a rotating course or movement: The wheels turned around.

in or to another or opposite direction, course, opinion, etc.: Sit still and don't turn around. After our arguments, she finally came around.

back into consciousness: The smelling salts brought her around.

in circulation, action, etc.; about: He hasn't been around lately. The play has been around for years. When will she be up and around?

somewhere near or about; nearby: I'll be around if you need me.

to a specific place: He came around to see me.

preposition

about; on all sides; encircling; encompassing: a halo around his head.

so as to encircle, surround, or envelop: to tie paper around a package.

on the edge, border, or outer part of: a skirt with fringe around the bottom.

from place to place in; about: to get around town.

in all or various directions from: to look around one.

in the vicinity of: the country around Boston.

approximately; about: It's around five o'clock.

here and there in: There are many cafés around the city.

somewhere in or near: to stay around the house.

to all or various parts of: to wander around the country.

so as to make a circuit about or partial circuit to the other side of: to go around the lake; to sail around a cape.

reached by making a turn or partial circuit about: the church around the corner.

so as to revolve or rotate about a center or axis: the earth's motion around its axis.

personally close to: Only the few advisers around the party leader understood his real motives.

so as to get by a difficulty: They got around the lack of chairs by sitting on the floor.

so as to have a foundation in: The novel is built around a little-known historical event.

Idioms

been around, having had much worldly experience: He's been around and isn't likely to be taken in.

Origin of around

1250–1300; Middle English around(e). See a-¹, round¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for around

over, everywhere, about, almost, approximately, nearby, encompassing, neighboring, throughout, near

Examples from the Web for around

Contemporary Examples of around

Added to drinking water at concentrations of around one part per million, fluoride ions stick to dental plaque.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers
Michael Schulson
July 27, 2016
But the people from Valley Stream had such a thick New York accent that was all around me.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness
Marlow Stern
January 7, 2015
Nothing made Groucho funnier than having this Margaret Dumont around not understanding the jokes.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire
William O’Connor
January 6, 2015
Prices are relatively inexpensive and come in at around 135 euros for a shirt or 35 euros for hand woven boxers.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech
Liza Foreman
January 6, 2015
The wreckage lies no more than around 100 feet down in the Java Sea.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?
Clive Irving
January 4, 2015

Historical Examples of around

"Thought it might be some of you folks when I saw the car," said Higbee, shaking hands all around.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He led her, unresisting, around to the couch at the other side of the table.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
There was good feed all around, but we could not, from the darkness, find any water.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
We strive for peace and security, heartened by the changes all around us.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
Beneath were the illustrious dead; around were the illustrious living.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook

British Dictionary definitions for around

around

preposition

situated at various points ina lot of shelves around the house

from place to place indriving around Ireland

somewhere in or nearto stay around the house

approximately init happened around 1957, I think

adverb

surrounding, encircling, or enclosinga band around her head

in all directions from a point of referencehe owns the land for ten miles around

in the vicinity, esp restlessly but idlyto wait around; stand around

here and there; in no particular place or directiondotted around

informal (of people) active and prominent in a particular area or professionsome pop stars are around for only a few years

informal present in some place (the exact location being inexact)he's around here somewhere

informal in circulation; availablethat type of phone has been around for some years now

informal to many places, so as to have gained considerable experience, often of a worldly or social naturehe gets around; I've been around

Word Origin for around

C17 (rare earlier): from a- ² + round

usage

In American English, around is usually used instead of round in adverbial and prepositional senses, except in a few fixed phrases such as all year round. The use of around in adverbial senses is less common in British English

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for around

adv.

c.1300, "in circumference," from phrase on round. Rare before 1600. In sense of "here and there with no fixed direction" it is 1776, American English (properly about). Of time, from 1888. To have been around "gained worldly experience" is from 1927, U.S. colloquial.

Idioms and Phrases with around

around

In addition to the idioms beginning with around

around the bend
around the corner

also see:

beat about (around) the bush
been around
boss someone around
bring around
cast about (around)
come around
enough to go around
every time one turns around
fool around
fuck around
full circle (what goes around comes around)
get around
get around to
go around in circles
hang around
horse around
kick around
kid around
knock about (around)
know one's way around
mess around
nose about (around)
pal around with
play around
poke around
push around
rally around
roll around
run around in circles
run around like a chicken
run around with
run rings around
screw around
scrounge around
shop around
sleep around
stick around
talk around
tear around
throw one's weight around
turn around
twist around one's finger
up and about (around)

Also see underround.