Meaning of around in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Adverb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /əˈraʊnd/

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  1. Adverb

    around

    Etymology

    Middle English: from a-‘in, on’ + round

    Definitions

    1. in the area or vicinity

    Examples

    • « a few spectators standing about »
    • « hanging around »
    • « waited around for the next flight »
  2. 2. by a circular or circuitous route

    Examples

    • « He came all the way around the base »
    • « the road goes around the pond »
  3. 3. to or among many different places or in no particular direction

    Examples

    • « 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 a »
  4. 4. in a circle or circular motion

    Examples

    • « The wheels are spinning around »
  5. 5. (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

    Examples

    • « 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 hundre »
  6. 6. in or to a reversed position or direction

    Examples

    • « about face »
    • « brought the ship about »
    • « suddenly she turned around »
  7. 7. to a particular destination either specified or understood

    Examples

    • « she came around to see me »
    • « I invited them around for supper »
  8. 8. all around or on all sides

    Examples

    • « dirty clothes lying around (or about) »
    • « let's look about for help »
    • « There were trees growing all around »
    • « she looked around her »
  9. 9. in circumference

    Examples

    • « the trunk is ten feet around »
    • « the pond is two miles around »
  10. 10. from beginning to end

    Examples

    • « throughout »
    • « It rains all year round on Skye »
    • « frigid weather the year around »

Famous quotes

  • « I left my job in the fall, and now I can set my life up around writing instead of squeezing writing into my day it's amazing to have that time, and I feel very lucky. »
    Karen Thompson Walker
  • « I think especially in a world where you have so little say about what goes on in your life, or in the politics of the world around you, it is wonderful to go into that studio, and tell yourself what to do. »
    Suzanne Farrell
  • « I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job. »
    Samuel Goldwyn
  • « If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. »
    Michael Jordan
  • « I loved the material when I first read it, and the experience of making the film was a great one. So when we came around to complete the trilogy, I just signed on board without even reading the scripts because the experience of the first film was so good. »
    Keanu Reeves

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