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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Upon the firm opacous globe
Of this round world. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having the form of a cylinder; cylindrical; as, the barrel of a musket is round. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Full; complete; not broken; not fractional; approximately in even units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.; -- said of numbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pliny put a round number near the truth, rather than the fraction. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Not inconsiderable; large; hence, generous; free; as, a round price. [ 1913 Webster ]

Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Round was their pace at first, but slackened soon. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Uttered or emitted with a full tone; as, a round voice; a round note. [ 1913 Webster ]

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, § 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Outspoken; plain and direct; unreserved; unqualified; not mincing; as, a round answer; a round oath. “The round assertion.” M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sir Toby, I must be round with you. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Full and smoothly expanded; not defective or abrupt; finished; polished; -- said of style, or of authors with reference to their style. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In his satires Horace is quick, round, and pleasant. Peacham. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. Complete and consistent; fair; just; -- applied to conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

Round dealing is the honor of man's nature. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 (Zool.), 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) (Zool.) 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Circular; spherical; globular; globase; orbicular; orbed; cylindrical; full; plump; rotund. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The serpent Error twines round human hearts. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Worms with many feet, which round themselves into balls, are bred chiefly under logs of timber. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The figures on our modern medals are raised and rounded to a very great perfection. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To surround; to encircle; to encompass. [ 1913 Webster ]

The inclusive verge
Of golden metal that must round my brow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To bring to fullness or completeness; to complete; hence, to bring to a fit conclusion. [ 1913 Webster ]

We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To go round wholly or in part; to go about (a corner or point); as, to round a corner; to round Cape Horn. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To make full, smooth, and flowing; as, to round periods in writing. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ Western U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. On all sides; around. [ 1913 Webster ]

Round he throws his baleful eyes. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In circumference; as, a ball is ten inches round. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. From one side or party to another; as to come or turn round, -- that is, to change sides or opinions. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. By or in a circuit; by a course longer than the direct course; back to the starting point. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Through a circle, as of friends or houses. [ 1913 Webster ]

The invitations were sent round accordingly. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Roundly; fully; vigorously. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Anything round, as a circle, a globe, a ring. “The golden round” [ the crown ]. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence: 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A series of duties or tasks which must be performed in turn, and then repeated. [ 1913 Webster ]

the trivial round, the common task. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Hence: (Mining, Tunneling) One work cycle, consisting of drilling blast holes, loading them with explosive, blasting, mucking out, and, if necessary, installing temporary support. [ RH ]

. . . Inco is still much more advanced than other mining companies. He says that the LKAB mine in Sweden is the closest rival. He predicts that, by 2008, Inco can reach a new productivity plateau, doubling the current mining productivity from 3, 350 tonnes to 6, 350 tonnes per person per year. Another aim is to triple the mine cycle rate (the time to drill, blast and muck a round) from one cycle to three complete cycles per 24 hours. https://web.archive.org/web/20010728040054/http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/issues/apr00/page10.asp [ PJC ]

6. A course of action or conduct performed by a number of persons in turn, or one after another, as if seated in a circle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Women to cards may be compared: we play
A round or two; which used, we throw away. Granville. [ 1913 Webster ]

The feast was served; the bowl was crowned;
To the king's pleasure went the mirthful round. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Hence: A complete set of plays in a game or contest covering a standard number of individual plays or parts; as, a round of golf; a round of tennis. [ PJC ]

8. Hence: One set of games in a tournament. [ PJC ]

9. The time during which prize fighters or boxers are in actual contest without an intermission, as prescribed by their rules; a bout. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. A circular dance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
In a light fantastic round. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. That which goes round a whole circle or company; as, a round of applause. [ 1913 Webster ]

12. Rotation, as in office; succession. Holyday. [ 1913 Webster ]

13. The step of a ladder; a rundle or rung; also, a crosspiece which joins and braces the legs of a chair. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the rounds like Jacob's ladder rise. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

14. (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) One piece of ammunition for a firearm, used by discharging one piece at a time; as, each soldier carried a hundred rounds of ammunition. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

15. (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. [ 1913 Webster ]

16. A brewer's vessel in which the fermentation is concluded, the yeast escaping through the bunghole. [ 1913 Webster ]

17. A vessel filled, as for drinking; as, to drink a round od ale together. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

18. An assembly; a group; a circle; as, a round of politicians. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

19. (Naut.) See Roundtop. [ 1913 Webster ]

20. Same as Round of beef, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ] --
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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To grow round or full; hence, to attain to fullness, completeness, or perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

The queen your mother rounds apace. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

So rounds he to a separate mind,
From whence clear memory may begin. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To go round, as a guard. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They . . . nightly rounding walk. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To go or turn round; to wheel about. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

To round to (Naut.), to turn the head of a ship toward the wind. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. & t. [ From Roun. ] To whisper. [ obs. ] Shak. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Circuitous; going round; indirect; as, roundabout speech. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have taken a terrible roundabout road. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Encircling; enveloping; comprehensive. “Large, sound, roundabout sense.” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A large horizontal wheel or frame, commonly with wooden horses, etc., on which children ride; a merry-go-round; a carousel. [ British ] Smart. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. A dance performed in a circle. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A short, close jacket worn by boys, sailors, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A state or scene of constant change, or of recurring labor and vicissitude. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. a traffic circle. [ Chiefly British ] [ PJC ]

n. The quality of being roundabout; circuitousness. [ 1913 Webster ]