Dictionary Definition
around adv
1 in the area or vicinity; "a few spectators
standing about"; "hanging around"; "waited around for the next
flight" [syn: about]
2 by a circular or circuitous route; "He came all
the way around the base"; "the road goes around the pond"
3 to or among many different places or in no
particular direction; "wandering about with no place to go";
"people were rushing about"; "news gets around (or about)";
"traveled around in Asia"; "he needs advice from someone who's been
around"; "she sleeps around" [syn: about]
4 in a circle or circular motion; "The wheels are
spinning around"
5 (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to
correct; "lasted approximately an hour"; "in just about a minute";
"he's about 30 years old"; "I've had about all I can stand"; "we
meet about once a month"; "some forty people came"; "weighs around
a hundred pounds"; "roughly $3,000"; "holds 3 gallons, more or
less"; "20 or so people were at the party" [syn: approximately, about, close to,
just
about, some, roughly, more or
less, or
so]
6 in or to a reversed position or direction;
"about face"; "brought the ship about"; "suddenly she turned
around" [syn: about]
7 to a particular destination either specified or
understood; "she came around to see me"; "I invited them around for
supper"
8 all around or on all sides; "dirty clothes
lying around (or about)"; "let's look about for help"; "There were
trees growing all around"; "she looked around her" [syn: about]
9 in circumference; "the trunk is ten feet
around"; "the pond is two miles around"
10 from beginning to end; throughout; "It rains
all year round on Skye"; "frigid weather the year around" [syn:
round]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- /əˈɹaʊnd/, /@"raUnd/
- Rhymes: -aʊnd
- Hyphenation: a·round
Adverb
- In a circular formation.
- The jackals began to gather around.
- Along the edges; on every side, in all directions.
- There isn't another house here for miles around.
- In random places; aimlessly, with no real direction.
- There are too many kids in the town centre, just hanging around for hours.
- With circular motion; coming back to a particular place.
- Well, my luck's really turned around!
- Nearby, in the area.
- I'll see you around, mate.
Preposition
- Defining a circle or closed curve containing.
- I planted a row of lillies around the statue.
- Following a path which curves near an object, with the object
on the inside of the curve
- The road took a brief detour around the large rock formation, then continued straight.
- Near (also applicable to time).
- I left my keys somewhere around there.
- I left the house sometime around 10:00.
- I left my keys somewhere around there.
- At various places in.
- The pages from the notebook were scattered around the room.
Translations
Related terms
See also
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
about,
again, alive, all about, all over, all
round, all through, almost, along toward, anticlockwise, any which
way, anyhow, anywise, approximately, at close
quarters, at hand, at random, back, backward, by, by way of, circa, clockwise, close, close about, close at hand,
close by, close upon, counterclockwise,
encircling, enclosing, encompassing, enveloping, every which way,
everywhence,
everywhere, everywhither, existent, existing, far and wide, fast
by, from every quarter, haphazard, haphazardly, hard, hard by, head over heels,
heels over head, helter-skelter, here and there, hereabout, hereabouts, in a circle, in a
spin, in a whirl, in all directions, in circles, in every quarter,
in reverse, in spitting distance, in the neighborhood, in the
vicinity, just about, living, near, near at hand, near enough to,
near upon, nearabout,
nearabouts, nearby, nearly, nigh, nigh about, not far, on all
sides, on every side, only a step, over, passing by, passing through,
random, randomly, roughly, round, round about, round and
round, somewhere about, surrounding, thereabout, thereabouts, through, throughout, upwards of,
via, widdershins, within call,
within earshot, within hearing, within reach