Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Round?

\Round\, v. i. & t. [From {Roun}.] To whisper. [obs.] --Shak. Holland. The Bishop of Glasgow rounding in his ear, ``Ye are not a wise man,'' . . . he rounded likewise to the bishop, and said, ``Wherefore brought ye me here?'' --Calderwood.
\Round\, a. [OF. roond, roont, reond, F. rond, fr. L. rotundus, fr. rota wheel. See {Rotary}, and cf. {Rotund}, {roundel}, {Rundlet}.] 1. Having every portion of the surface or of the circumference equally distant from the center; spherical; circular; having a form approaching a spherical or a circular shape; orbicular; globular; as, a round ball. ``The big, round tears.'' --Shak. Upon the firm opacous globe Of this round world. --Milton. 2. Having the form of a cylinder; cylindrical; as, the barrel of a musket is round. 3. Having a curved outline or form; especially, one like the arc of a circle or an ellipse, or a portion of the surface of a sphere; rotund; bulging; protuberant; not angular or pointed; as, a round arch; round hills. ``Their round haunches gored.'' --Shak. 4. Full; complete; not broken; not fractional; approximately in even units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.; -- said of numbers. Pliny put a round number near the truth, rather than the fraction. --Arbuthnot. 5. Not inconsiderable; large; hence, generous; free; as, a round price. Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum. --Shak. Round was their pace at first, but slackened soon. --Tennyson. 6. Uttered or emitted with a full tone; as, a round voice; a round note. 7. (Phonetics) Modified, as a vowel, by contraction of the lip opening, making the opening more or less round in shape; rounded; labialized; labial. See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect] 11. 8. Outspoken; plain and direct; unreserved; unqualified; not mincing; as, a round answer; a round oath. ``The round assertion.'' --M. Arnold. Sir Toby, I must be round with you. --Shak. 9. Full and smoothly expanded; not defective or abrupt; finished; polished; -- said of style, or of authors with reference to their style. [Obs.] In his satires Horace is quick, round, and pleasant. --Peacham. 10. Complete and consistent; fair; just; -- applied to conduct. Round dealing is the honor of man's nature. --Bacon. {At a round rate}, rapidly. --Dryden. {In round numbers}, approximately in even units, tens, hundreds, etc.; as, a bin holding 99 or 101 bushels may be said to hold in round numbers 100 bushels. {Round bodies} (Geom.), the sphere right cone, and right cylinder. {Round clam} (Zo["o]l.), the quahog. {Round dance} one which is danced by couples with a whirling or revolving motion, as the waltz, polka, etc. {Round game}, a game, as of cards, in which each plays on his own account. {Round hand}, a style of penmanship in which the letters are formed in nearly an upright position, and each separately distinct; -- distinguished from running hand. {Round robin}. [Perhaps F. round round + ruban ribbon.] (a) A written petition, memorial, remonstrance, protest, etc., the signatures to which are made in a circle so as not to indicate who signed first. ``No round robins signed by the whole main deck of the Academy or the Porch.'' --De Quincey. (b) (Zo["o]l.) The cigar fish. {Round shot}, a solid spherical projectile for ordnance. {Round Table}, the table about which sat King Arthur and his knights. See {Knights of the Round Table}, under {Knight}. {Round tower}, one of certain lofty circular stone towers, tapering from the base upward, and usually having a conical cap or roof, which crowns the summit, -- found chiefly in Ireland. They are of great antiquity, and vary in heigh from thirty-five to one hundred and thiry feet. {Round trot}, one in which the horse throws out his feet roundly; a full, brisk, quick trot. --Addison. {Round turn} (Naut.), one turn of a rope round a timber, a belaying pin, etc. {To bring up with a round turn}, to stop abruptly. [Colloq.] Syn: Circular; spherical; globular; globase; orbicular; orbed; cylindrical; full; plump; rotund.
\Round\, n. 1. Anything round, as a circle, a globe, a ring. ``The golden round'' [the crown]. --Shak. In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled. --Milton. 2. A series of changes or events ending where it began; a series of like events recurring in continuance; a cycle; a periodical revolution; as, the round of the seasons; a round of pleasures. 3. A course of action or conduct performed by a number of persons in turn, or one after another, as if seated in a circle. Women to cards may be compared: we play A round or two; which used, we throw away. --Granville. The feast was served; the bowl was crowned; To the king's pleasure went the mirthful round. --Prior. 4. A series of duties or tasks which must be performed in turn, and then repeated. the trivial round, the common task. --Keble. 5. A circular dance. Come, knit hands, and beat the ground, In a light fantastic round. --Milton. 6. That which goes round a whole circle or company; as, a round of applause. 7. Rotation, as in office; succession. --Holyday. 8. The step of a ladder; a rundle or rung; also, a crosspiece which joins and braces the legs of a chair. All the rounds like Jacob's ladder rise. --Dryden. 9. A course ending where it began; a circuit; a beat; especially, one freguently or regulary traversed; also, the act of traversing a circuit; as, a watchman's round; the rounds of the postman. 10. (Mil.) (a) A walk performed by a guard or an officer round the rampart of a garrison, or among sentinels, to see that the sentinels are faithful and all things safe; also, the guard or officer, with his attendants, who performs this duty; -- usually in the plural. (b) A general discharge of firearms by a body of troops in which each soldier fires once. (c) Ammunition for discharging a piece or pieces once; as, twenty rounds of ammunition were given out. 11. (Mus.) A short vocal piece, resembling a catch in which three or four voices follow each other round in a species of canon in the unison. 12. The time during which prize fighters or boxers are in actual contest without an intermission, as prescribed by their rules; a bout. 13. A brewer's vessel in which the fermentation is concluded, the yeast escaping through the bunghole. 14. A vessel filled, as for drinking. [R.] 15. An assembly; a group; a circle; as, a round of politicians. --Addison. 16. (Naut.) See {Roundtop}. 17. Same as {Round of beef}, below. {Gentlemen of the round}. (a) Gentlemen soldiers of low rank who made the rounds. See 10 (a), above. (b) Disbanded soldiers who lived by begging. [Obs.] Worm-eaten gentlemen of the round, such as have vowed to sit on the skirts of the city, let your provost and his half dozen of halberdiers do what they can. --B. Jonson. {Round of beef}, the part of the thigh below the aitchbone, or between the rump and the leg. See Illust. of {beef}. {Round steak}, a beefsteak cut from the round. {Sculpture in the round}, sculpture giving the full form, as of man; statuary, distinguished from relief.
\Round\, adv. 1. On all sides; around. Round he throws his baleful eyes. --Milton. 2. Circularly; in a circular form or manner; by revolving or reversing one's position; as, to turn one's head round; a wheel turns round. 3. In circumference; as, a ball is ten inches round. 4. From one side or party to another; as to come or turn round, -- that is, to change sides or opinions. 5. By or in a circuit; by a course longer than the direct course; back to the starting point. 6. Through a circle, as of friends or houses. The invitations were sent round accordingly. --Sir W. Scott. 7. Roundly; fully; vigorously. [Obs.] --Chaucer. {All round}, over the whole place; in every direction. {All-round}, of general capacity; as, an all-round man. [Colloq.] {To bring one round}. (a) To cause one to change his opinions or line of conduct. (b) To restore one to health. [Colloq.]
\Round\, prep. On every side of, so as to encompass or encircle; around; about; as, the people atood round him; to go round the city; to wind a cable round a windlass. The serpent Error twines round human hearts. --Cowper. {Round about}, an emphatic form for round or about. ``Moses . . . set them [The elders] round about the tabernacle.'' --Num. xi. 24. {To come round}, to gain the consent of, or circumvent, (a person) by flattery or deception. [Colloq.]
\Round\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rounded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Rounding}.] 1. To make circular, spherical, or cylindrical; to give a round or convex figure to; as, to round a silver coin; to round the edges of anything. Worms with many feet, which round themselves into balls, are bred chiefly under logs of timber. --Bacon. The figures on our modern medals are raised and rounded to a very great perfection. --Addison. 2. To surround; to encircle; to encompass. The inclusive verge Of golden metal that must round my brow. --Shak. 3. To bring to fullness or completeness; to complete; hence, to bring to a fit conclusion. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. --Shak. 4. To go round wholly or in part; to go about (a corner or point); as, to round a corner; to round Cape Horn. 5. To make full, smooth, and flowing; as, to round periods in writing. --Swift. {To round in} (Naut.) To haul up; usually, to haul the slack of (a rope) through its leading block, or to haul up (a tackle which hangs loose) by its fall. --Totten. (b) To collect together (cattle) by riding around them, as on cattle ranches
\Round\, v. i. 1. To grow round or full; hence, to attain to fullness, completeness, or perfection. The queen your mother rounds apace. --Shak. So rounds he to a separate mind, From whence clear memory may begin. --Tennyson. 2. To go round, as a guard. [Poetic] They . . . nightly rounding walk. --Milton. 3. To go or turn round; to wheel about. --Tennyson. {To round to} (Naut.), to turn the head of a ship toward the wind.