English Explanatory Dictionary

around

English dictionary entry

Meanings

prep
  1. Forming a circle or closed curve containing (something).
  2. Centred upon; surrounding; regarding.
  3. Following the perimeter of a specified area and returning to the starting point.
  4. Following a path which curves near an object, with the object on the inside of the curve.
  5. Near; in the vicinity of.
  6. At or to various places within or throughout.
  7. So as to avoid something.
adj
  1. Present in the vicinity.
  2. Alive; existing.
adv
  1. So as to form a circle or trace a circular path, or approximation thereof.
  2. So as to surround or be near.
  3. Nearly; approximately; about.
  4. From place to place.
  5. From one state or condition to an opposite or very different one; with a metaphorical change in direction; bringing about awareness or agreement.
  6. So as to partially or completely rotate; so as to face in the opposite direction.
  7. Used with verbs to indicate repeated or continuous action, or in numerous locations or with numerous people.
  8. Used with certain verbs to suggest unproductive activity.

Pronunciation

/əˈɹaʊnd/ en-us-around.ogg /əˈɹuːnd/ /əˈɹæɔnd/ /əˈɹæʊnd/

Word forms

around round arownd ron 'round

Etymology

From Middle English around, arounde, from a- (from Old English a- (“on, at”)) + Middle English round (“circle, round”) borrowed from French, equivalent to a- + round. Cognate with Scots aroond, aroon (“around”). Displaced earlier Middle English umbe, embe (“around”) (from Old English ymbe (“around”)).

Synonyms

environ

Related words

round about

Derived words

albatross around one's neck a lie can run around the world before the truth can get its boots on all around all-around around back aroundness around one's ears around Robin Hood's barn around the bend around-the-clock around the clock around the corner around the Horn around the traps around the way around the wicket around the world bag around one's eye bag around the eye bat around beat around the bush bop around bowled around the legs bugger around bust around come-around crap around dance around dial-around dig around enough to go around flute around frig around fuss around get around get one's arms around get one's head around go all around the houses go all around the Wrekin go-around go around go around the houses go around with green around the gills hack around hand around hang around hang-around have been around have been around the block hedge around hell around hoe around honey around jazz around jive around kickaround kite around lark around lead around by the nose
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on A Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary