rounding

[roun-ding]

adjective

1. round or nearly round.

2. of, relating to, or used for making something round.

3. turning, curving, or circling around.

4. pertaining to the mathematical process of rounding.

   a rounding error.

noun

1. the act or process of making something round.

2. Mathematics.

   1. the process of replacing a number by another number of approximately the same value but having fewer digits.

      To the nearest dollar, the rounding of $27.68 yields $28.

   2. a similar process that specifies one of various rules. Generally, the number is first truncated to one or two digits more than is desired; then the last one or two digits are adjusted in a specified way in order to reflect the magnitude of the original number. In rounding the final digits, 0–4 are simply dropped, 6–9 are dropped after the preceding digit is increased by 1, and 5 is handled in various ways depending on the surrounding digits and the particular convention being followed.

rounding

/ ˈraʊndɪŋ /

noun

1. computing a process in which a number is approximated as the closest number that can be expressed using the number of bits or digits available

Word History and Origins

Origin of rounding¹

First recorded in 1545–55; round ¹ + -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

She’s also seen rounding up as many immigrants as possible in raids, shouting orders like, “If it’s brown, it goes down.”

From Los Angeles Times

Masked migra swept across Southern California under the pretense of rounding up criminals.

From Los Angeles Times

Their offense looked to be rounding a corner, finally pairing up with a strong run of pitching the way the front office envisioned when they built this supposed juggernaut in the winter.

From Los Angeles Times

With limited cooperation from California jails, ICE agents went out into communities, rounding up people they suspected of being undocumented on street corners and at factories and farms.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a genuine hit in that first season, rounding out the year 2004 as the seventh-most-watched TV show of the year.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bend 
• loop