roundness

round ► ADJECTIVE 1) shaped like a circle or cylinder. 2) shaped like a sphere. 3) having a curved surface with no sharp projections. 4) (of a person's shoulders) bent forward. 5) (of a voice or musical tone) rich and mellow. 6) (of a number) expressed in convenient units rather than exactly, for example to the nearest whole number. 7) (of a figure) completely and exactly reached: a round 100. 8) frank and truthful: she berated him in round terms.

► NOUN 1) a circular piece or section. 2) a route or sequence by which a number of people or places are visited or inspected in turn: a newspaper round. 3) a regularly recurring sequence of activities: the daily round. 4) each of a sequence of sessions in a process, especially in a sports contest. 5) a single division of a boxing or wrestling match. 6) a song for three or more unaccompanied voices or parts, each singing the same theme but starting one after another. 7) the amount of ammunition needed to fire one shot. 8) a set of drinks bought for all the members of a group. 9) Brit. a slice of bread. 10) Brit. the quantity of sandwiches made from two slices of bread.

► ADVERB chiefly Brit. 1) so as to rotate or cause rotation. 2) so as to cover the whole area surrounding a particular centre. 3) so as to rotate and face in the opposite direction. 4) used i n describing the relative position of something: it's the wrong way round. 5) so as to surround or give support. 6) so as to reach a new place or position.

► PREPOSITION chiefly Brit. 1) on every side of (a focal point). 2) so as to encircle. 3) from or on the other side of. 4) so as to cover the whole of.

► VERB 1) pass and go round. 2) make (a figure) less exact but more convenient for calculations: we'll round the weight up to the nearest kilo. 3) make or become round in shape.

● in the round — Cf. ↑in the round

● round off — Cf. ↑round off

● round on — Cf. ↑round on

● round up — Cf. ↑round up

DERIVATIVES roundness noun.

ORIGIN Old French, from Latin rotundus 'rotund' .