round

1 /raUnd/ adjective

1 shaped like a circle: a round table | Jamie's eyes grew round with delight.

2 shaped like a ball: a plant with small round berries

3 fat and curved: Charlie had a chubby face and round cheeks.

4 a round number is a whole number, often ending in 0: Let's make it a round -50 I owe you. | a round hundred/dozen etc (=a complete hundred etc)

5 in round figures not expressed as an exact number but as the nearest 10, 100, 1000 etc: In round figures, the expected profit is about -600 million.

—see also: roundly, a square peg in a round hole square 1 (11) — roundness noun (U) 2 adverb (only after verb) especially BrE

1 if something moves round, it moves in a circular movement: It is water moving through the mechanism which pushes the wheel round. | round and round: He stared at the washing machine, just watching the clothes go round and round.

2 if something such as a group of people or things are round something, they surround that thing: If you'll all gather round we'll begin the experiment. | all round: The garden had a fence all round to keep out dogs.

3 to many people or in many parts of a place, a room etc: Please, come in, let me show you round. | Would someone hand the drinks round please. | all round: It was a beautiful room, with cushions scattered all round. | enough to go round (=enough for everyone): Do you think there are enough seats to go round?

4 in the opposite direction: When he turned round I recognised him immediately.

5 if you go round, you do not go the most direct way to get somewhere: I don't mind driving round by the market on my way to the station.

6 the wrong/the other/the opposite etc way rounda)

a) facing the wrong, other, opposite etc direction: You're wearing your T-shirt the wrong way round.

b) in the wrong, other, opposite etc order: You got it the wrong way round. She left him, he didn't walk out on her!

7 round about about a particular time or amount: It's a coincidence that all his grandparents died round about the same time.

8 change/switch etc round to change the position that things are in so that they are in each other's places: The dartboard was at the back, but they've changed things round.

9 informal to or in someone's house: I'm inviting the neighbours round for a drink. | Sally left a note saying she'd be round at her cousin's house.

10 (just) round the corner not very far away at all: She could walk, it's only round the corner.

11 go round the shops/pub etc to go to the shops etc: I could go round the village and see if something's still open.

12 go round (and round) in circles to not make progress at something such as trying to solve a problem

13 2 metres/12 feet etc round having a circumference of 2 metres, 12 feet etc

14 the first/second etc time round the first, second, etc time that you do something: Who says marriage is better the second time round?

—see also: all­round1, —compare around 1 3 preposition especially BrE

1 if something moves round something, it moves around it in a circular movement: The earth goes round the sun. | The lions slowly circled round the gazelle, waiting to pounce.

2 surrounding or covering something: sitting round the table | Why have you got a bandage round your wrist?

3 if you go round something you do not go the most direct way to get somewhere: You'll have to go right round the roadworks to get there.

4 at or to the other side of something: Suddenly the thief disappeared round the corner. | There must be another entrance round the back of the house.

5 to or in all parts of a place: Let me show you round the castle. | travelling round Europe

6 a way round a difficult situation or problem is a way to solve it or avoid it: We'll have to leave earlier - there's no other way round it!

7 round here in the place, area of a town etc where you are now: Do you live round here? | There must be a pen round here somewhere.

8 at about a particular time: It must have been round midnight when I heard the scream.

—compare around 1, —see also: round the clock clock 1 (6) USAGE NOTE: ROUND WORD CHOICE: round, around, about In many contexts, round and around have the same meaning in British English, though American speakers do not use round in this way: The price was somewhere round three thousand (BrE). | The price was somewhere around three thousand. In British English, you can use round for describing a circular movement: The satellite travelled right round the Earth. Americans would always use around in this meaning: The satellite traveled right around the Earth. The same is true when you use around and round to mean moving to different places: He's travelling round the world for a few years (BrE). | He's traveling around the world for a few years. Both round and around are correct in British English, although round is slightly less formal. British English speakers often use about instead of around in some meanings: Stop fooling about, you two. | “Where's my bag?” “It must be about somewhere.” Both British and American speakers use about to mean `approximately': He's about six feet tall. 4 noun (C)

1 SERIES a number or set of events that are connected

(+ of): For Jodie, life was a continual round of parties. | the next round of arms talks

2 FOOD/NEWSPAPERS/LETTERS ETC a regular visit to a number of houses, offices etc to deliver or sell things: paper/milk round etc (=a job in which you deliver newspapers, milk etc to people's houses)

3 VISITS rounds the usual visits that someone, especially a doctor, regularly makes as part of their job: be (out) on your rounds: I'm sorry; the doctor is out on her rounds till 3 o'clock.

4 do the rounds of to go around from one place to another, often looking for work: Daniela's doing the rounds of the theatrical agents.

5 do the rounds informal also go the rounds BrE if an illness or piece of news does the rounds, it is passed on from one person to another: There's a nasty kind of flu doing the rounds this winter.

6 ALCOHOL if you buy a round of drinks in a bar, you buy drinks for all the people in your group: it's my/your etc round (=used to say that you or another person should buy drinks for all the other people in your group): What are you having? It's my round.

7 round of applause a period when people are clapping clap 1 (1) to show that they enjoyed a performance

8 round of sandwiches especially BrE sandwiches made from two whole pieces of bread

9 round of toast especially BrE one whole piece of bread that has been toasted toast 2 (2)

10 GOLF a complete game of golf

11 BOXING one of the periods of fighting in a boxing (box2 (1)) or wrestling (wrestle (1)): Bruno was knocked out in the second round.

12 COMPETITION one of the stages in a sports competition, especially in tennis or football: Did Sampras get through to the third round?

13 GUN SHOT a single shot from a gun, or a bullet for one shot: I've only got ten rounds of ammunition left.

14 CIRCLE something that has a circular shape: Slice the potatoes into rounds.

15 SONG a song for three or four singers, in which each one sings the same tune, starting at different times

16 the daily round the things that you have to do every day: the daily round of cooking and cleaning

17 in the round a play that is performed in the round is performed on a central stage surrounded by the people watching it

5 verb (T)

1 to go round something such as a bend or the corner of a building: The Ferrari rounded the bend at top speed.

2 to make something into a round shape: Jenny rounded her lips and blew him a kiss.

round sth down phrasal verb (T) to reduce an exact figure to the nearest whole number —compare round up round sth off phrasal verb (I, T)

1 to do something as a way of ending an event, performance etc in a suitable or satisfactory way: round sth off with: Fresh strawberries would round the meal off nicely.

2 (T) to take the sharp edges off something: Round off the corners with a pair of scissors.

3 to change an exact figure to the nearest whole number

round on sb/sth phrasal verb (T) to suddenly turn and attack someone when they do not expect it, physically or with words: Then, for no reason at all, she rounded on me and started screaming. round out phrasal verb (T) to make an experience more thorough or complete: round sth out: Denise decided to round out her education with a year in Paris. round sb/sth up phrasal verb (T)

1 to find a particular group of people and force them to go to prison: The government's opponents are being rounded up and thrown in jail.

2 to find and gather together a group of people or things: See if you can round up a few friends to help you!

—see also: round­up (1)

3 to increase an exact figure to the next highest whole number

—compare round down

4 to finish a meeting or other event by doing something: Frances likes to round up a speech with a joke.