Round has 34 different meanings across 6 categories:
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
"The soldier carefully counted his last round before firing at the approaching enemy."
(often plural) a series of professional calls (usually in a set order)
"the doctor goes on his rounds first thing every morning"
"the postman's rounds"
"we enjoyed our round of the local bars"
a cut of beef between the rump and the lower leg
"The butcher sliced us some round for the roast, which was much more tender than the shin he had offered before."
A circular or spherical object or part of an object.
"She leaned over and spoke a secret to her friend in round, so they wouldn't be heard by anyone else."
A whisper; whispering.
In plain English: A round is a single turn or cycle of something happening repeatedly, like everyone taking a shot at a game or passing an item around a table.
"She added a round of drinks for everyone at the bar."
To shape something into a curve.
"The three friends leaned over their coffee cups to round about what they should do next without alerting the rest of the group."
To speak in a low tone; whisper; speak secretly; take counsel.
In plain English: To round something means to make it circular or curved instead of straight or pointed.
"The team will round up the players before practice starts."
Usage: Use this verb when physically molding an object, such as dough or metal, to give it a curved form rather than sharp edges. It is often confused with the adjective describing circular shapes, but here it specifically denotes the action of shaping.
(of sounds) full and rich
"orotund tones"
"the rotund and reverberating phrase"
"pear-shaped vowels"
Of shape:
"The baker carefully rolled out dough until it formed a perfect round circle for the pizza crust."
Circular or cylindrical; having a circular cross-section in one direction.
"The chef rolled out the dough until it was perfectly round before placing it on the baking sheet."
In plain English: Round means having a circular shape with no sharp corners or edges.
Alternative form of around
"She asked everyone to gather round for a quick chat, though she meant that they should come around to her office later instead."
In plain English: Round means to go around something completely and return to where you started.
"They sat round the table for hours."
Alternative form of around
"The kids ran round the corner to hide from their parents."
A surname.
"My neighbor, Mr. Round, invited us all over for his famous pie."
The word "round" entered English from Old Northern and Old French, where it originally described something shaped like a circle or sphere. While its root traces back to Latin rotundus, the term traveled into Middle English as both an adjective and a noun before becoming a standard part of the modern language.