ROUND

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does round mean? 

• ROUND (noun)
  The noun ROUND has 14 senses:

1. a charge of ammunition for a single shot
2. an interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs
3. a regular route for a sentry or policeman
4. (often plural) a series of professional calls (usually in a set order)
5. the activity of playing 18 holes of golf
6. the usual activities in your day
7. (sports) a period of play during which one team is on the offensive
8. the course along which communications spread
9. a serving to each of a group (usually alcoholic)
10. a cut of beef between the rump and the lower leg
11. a partsong in which voices follow each other; one voice starts and others join in one after another until all are singing different parts of the song at the same time
12. an outburst of applause
13. a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
14. any circular or rotating mechanism

  Familiarity information: ROUND used as a noun is familiar.

• ROUND (adjective)
  The adjective ROUND has 3 senses:

1. having a circular shape
2. (of sounds) full and rich
3. (mathematics) expressed to the nearest integer, ten, hundred, or thousand

  Familiarity information: ROUND used as an adjective is uncommon.

• ROUND (verb)
  The verb ROUND has 8 senses:

1. wind around; move along a circular course
2. make round
3. be around
4. pronounce with rounded lips
5. attack in speech or writing
6. bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state
7. express as a round number
8. become round, plump, or shapely

  Familiarity information: ROUND used as a verb is common.

• ROUND (adverb)
  The adverb ROUND has 1 sense:

1. from beginning to end; throughout

  Familiarity information: ROUND used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ROUND (noun)

Sense 1

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A charge of ammunition for a single shot

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

unit of ammunition; round; one shot

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

ammo; ammunition (projectiles to be fired from a gun)

Sense 2

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

An interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

cycle; round; rhythm

Context example:

the never-ending cycle of the seasons

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

interval; time interval (a definite length of time marked off by two instants)

Meronyms (parts of "round"):

phase; phase angle (a particular point in the time of a cycle; measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle)

Sense 3

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A regular route for a sentry or policeman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

beat; round

Context example:

in the old days a policeman walked a beat and knew all his people by name

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

itinerary; path; route (an established line of travel or access)

Sense 4

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(often plural) a series of professional calls (usually in a set order)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context examples:

the doctor goes on his rounds first thing every morning / the postman's rounds / we enjoyed our round of the local bars

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

call (a visit in an official or professional capacity)

Domain usage:

plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)

Sense 5

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The activity of playing 18 holes of golf

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

round of golf; round

Context example:

a round of golf takes about 4 hours

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

golf; golf game (a game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes; the object is use as few strokes as possible in playing all the holes)

Sense 6

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The usual activities in your day

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

daily round; round

Context example:

the doctor made his rounds

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

habitude (habitual mode of behavior)

Sense 7

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(sports) a period of play during which one team is on the offensive

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

bout; round; turn

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

period of play; play; playing period ((in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds)

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "round"):

bottom; bottom of the inning (the second half of an inning; while the home team is at bat)

top; top of the inning (the first half of an inning; while the visiting team is at bat)

Sense 8

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The course along which communications spread

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

the story is going the rounds in Washington

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

course; path; track (a line or route along which something travels or moves)

Sense 9

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A serving to each of a group (usually alcoholic)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

round of drinks; round

Context example:

he ordered a second round

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

helping; portion; serving (an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal)

Sense 10

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A cut of beef between the rump and the lower leg

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

cut of beef (piece of beef)

Meronyms (parts of "round"):

round steak (a lean cut of beef from between the rump and the shank)

Sense 11

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A partsong in which voices follow each other; one voice starts and others join in one after another until all are singing different parts of the song at the same time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

troll; round

Context example:

they enjoyed singing rounds

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

partsong (a song with two or more voice parts)

Sense 12

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

An outburst of applause

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

there was a round of applause

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

applause; clapping; hand clapping (a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together)

Sense 13

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A crosspiece between the legs of a chair

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

rung; stave; round

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

crosspiece (a transverse brace)

Holonyms ("round" is a part of...):

folding chair (a chair that can be folded flat for storage)

feeding chair; highchair (a chair for feeding a very young child; has four long legs and a footrest and a detachable tray)

rocker; rocking chair (a chair mounted on rockers)

side chair; straight chair (a straight-backed chair without arms)

Sense 14

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Any circular or rotating mechanism

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

circle; round

Context example:

the machine punched out metal circles

Hypernyms ("round" is a kind of...):

rotating mechanism (a mechanism that rotates)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "round"):

disc; disk (a flat circular plate)

• ROUND (adjective)

Sense 1

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Having a circular shape

Synonyms:

circular; round

Similar:

nutlike (resembling a nut in shape and size)

pancake-like (resembling a pancake in shape)

pear-shaped (having a round shape tapered at one end)

pinwheel-shaped (having the round shape of a pinwheel)

ringlike (having the shape of a ring)

roundish (somewhat round in appearance or form)

wheel-like (round like a wheel)

moon-round; moonlike (resembling the moon in shape)

goblet-shaped (resembling the shape of a goblet)

disc-shaped; disclike; discoid; discoidal; disk-shaped; disklike (having a flat circular shape)

apple-shaped (having the general shape of an apple)

ball-shaped; global; globose; globular; orbicular; spheric; spherical (having the shape of a sphere or ball)

barrel-shaped (having the general shape of a barrel)

bulb-shaped; bulblike; bulbous (shaped like a bulb)

capitate (being abruptly enlarged and globose at the tip)

coccoid (spherical; like a coccus)

cumuliform (shaped like a cumulus cloud)

orbicular; orbiculate (circular or nearly circular)

Also:

rounded (curving and somewhat round in shape rather than jagged)

Antonym:

square (having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a right angle)

Sense 2

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(of sounds) full and rich

Synonyms:

round; rotund; pear-shaped; orotund

Context examples:

orotund tones / the rotund and reverberating phrase / pear-shaped vowels

Similar:

full ((of sound) having marked depth and body)

Sense 3

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(mathematics) expressed to the nearest integer, ten, hundred, or thousand

Context example:

in round numbers

Similar:

inexact (not exact)

Domain category:

math; mathematics; maths (a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement)

• ROUND (verb)

Sense 1

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Wind around; move along a circular course

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

round the bend

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Make round

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

round off; round; round out

Context example:

round the edges

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

form; shape (give shape or form to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "round"):

purse (contract one's lips into a rounded shape)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Be around

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

encircle; environ; surround; circle; round; ring

Context examples:

Developments surround the town / The river encircles the village

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

bear; carry; contain; hold (contain or hold; have within)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "round"):

twine (coil around)

wreath; wreathe (encircle with or as if with a wreath)

begird; gird; girt; girth (encircle or bind)

cloister (surround with a cloister, as of a garden)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 4

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Pronounce with rounded lips

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

labialise; labialize; round

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

articulate; enounce; enunciate; pronounce; say; sound out (speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Attack in speech or writing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

lash out; attack; snipe; assault; assail; round

Context example:

The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "round"):

rubbish (attack strongly)

blister; scald; whip (subject to harsh criticism)

barrage; bombard (address with continuously or persistently, as if with a barrage)

whang (attack forcefully)

rip (criticize or abuse strongly and violently)

vitriol (subject to bitter verbal abuse)

claw (attack as if with claws)

abuse; blackguard; clapperclaw; shout (use foul or abusive language towards)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 6

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

polish up; brush up; round off; polish; round

Context example:

polish your social manners

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

hone; perfect (make perfect or complete)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 7

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Express as a round number

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

round down; round out; round off; round

Context example:

round off the amount

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Become round, plump, or shapely

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

flesh out; fill out; round

Context example:

The young woman is fleshing out

Hypernyms (to "round" is one way to...):

gain; put on (increase (one's body weight))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

• ROUND (adverb)

Sense 1

round [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

From beginning to end; throughout

Synonyms:

round; around

Context examples:

It rains all year round on Skye / frigid weather the year around