around
a
ə
ē
round
ˈraʊnd
rawnd
/əˈraʊnd/

āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ "around"āĻāϰ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž āĻ“ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ

01

āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻŋ

used to express an estimated number, time, or value
around definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
That costs around twenty dollars.
āĻāϟāĻŋāϰ āĻĻāĻžāĻŽ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļ āĻĄāϞāĻžāϰāĨ¤
02

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻ¤ā§āϰ

in a way that encompasses or is present on multiple sides or throughout an area
around definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
They could hear laughter echoing around.
āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻšāĻžāϏāĻŋ āϗ⧁āĻžā§āϜāύ āĻļ⧁āύāϤ⧇ āĻĒ⧇āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
2.1

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϘāĻŋāϰ⧇

in a way that forms a circle or enclosure about someone or something
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The children huddled around to hear the story.
āĻŦāĻžāĻšā§āϚāĻžāϰāĻž āĻ—āĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āĻļ⧁āύāϤ⧇ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϜāĻĄāĻŧā§‹ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
2.2

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻŋ

covering an area radiating from a central point
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Smoke spread for blocks around.
āϧ⧋āρāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ• āĻŦā§āϞāĻ• āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻ›āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
03

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇

in the general vicinity of the speaker or subject
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
There 's a cafÊ around.
āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻ•ā§āϝāĻžāĻĢ⧇ āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤
3.1

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇

existing or available within a certain area
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He 's been around for decades.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ• āĻĻāĻļāĻ• āϧāϰ⧇ āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āφāϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
04

āωāĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤ, āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇

present to offer comfort, help, or solidarity
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He 's always been around when it matters.
āϝāĻ–āύ āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§‹āϜāύ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇, āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āϏāĻŦāϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āωāĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
05

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻŦ⧃āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧇

used to refer to movement in a circular direction
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She spun around in surprise.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻ…āĻŦāĻžāĻ• āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϘ⧁āϰ⧇ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
06

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϏāĻŦ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇

toward random or various directions
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The dog ran around happily in the backyard.
āϕ⧁āϕ⧁āϰāϟāĻŋ āφāύāĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§‡åŽé™ĸ⧇ āϚāĻžāϰāĻŋāĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻĻ⧌āĻĄāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
07

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻ•ā§āϰāĻŽā§‡

so that each person receives or handles something
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Can you hand the snacks around?
āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻ¨ā§āϝāĻžāĻ•āϏ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻšā§āϝāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻĄ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ?
08

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇

in a way that changes one's orientation to face the other way
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The dog looked around when it heard a noise behind him.
āϕ⧁āϕ⧁āϰāϟāĻŋ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϤāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϞ āϝāĻ–āύ āĻāϟāĻŋ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āύ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ āĻļ⧁āύāϤ⧇ āĻĒ⧇āϞāĨ¤
8.1

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻŋ

leading off in a different direction
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Just past the hill, the road curved around before reaching the village.
āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻ āĻŋāĻ• āĻĒāϰ⧇āχ, āĻ—ā§āϰāĻžāĻŽā§‡ āĻĒ⧌āρāĻ›āĻžāύ⧋āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻžāϟāĻŋ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āρāϕ⧇ āϗ⧇āϞāĨ¤
8.2

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āωāĻ˛ā§āĻŸā§‹

describing how something is positioned or arranged, especially in terms of direction
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The lid was put on backward, the seal facing the wrong way around.
āĻĸāĻžāĻ•āύāĻžāϟāĻŋ āωāĻ˛ā§āĻŸā§‹ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ, āϏ⧀āϞāϟāĻŋ āϭ⧁āϞ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻŽā§āĻ– āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇.
8.3

āωāĻ˛ā§āĻŸā§‹, āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāϰ⧀āϤ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇

indicating that something is the opposite or reverse in relational terms
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
It looks like we have the roles around.
āĻŽāύ⧇ āĻšāĻšā§āϛ⧇ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻ­ā§‚āĻŽāĻŋāĻ•āĻž āωāĻ˛ā§āĻŸā§‡ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤
09

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧇

describing movement within or ability to find one's way through a space
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Do you know your way around?
āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇āϰ āϰāĻžāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻž āϜāĻžāύ⧇āύ?
10

āφāϏāĻž, āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āφāϏāĻž

used to indicate casual or friendly visitation
Informal
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I might swing around tomorrow.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāϞ āϘ⧁āϰ⧇ āφāϏāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋāĨ¤
11

āϏāĻžāϰāĻž āĻŦāĻ›āϰ, āϏāĻŽāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ

during the entire span of time
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The weather is warm here season around.
āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āφāĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āϏāĻžāϰāĻž āĻŽā§ŒāϏ⧁āĻŽā§‡ āĻ—āϰāĻŽāĨ¤
12

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻ¤ā§āϰ

in many places or among many people, used to show repetition
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
We've been shopping around for the best mortgage rates.
āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϏ⧇āϰāĻž āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧāϕ⧀ āĻšāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϕ⧇āύāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤
13

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āωāĻĻā§āĻĻ⧇āĻļā§āϝāĻšā§€āύāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇

used to describe acts or behaviors that lack a clear purpose or direction
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
We loafed around all day.
āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϏāĻžāϰāĻžāĻĻāĻŋāύ āϘ⧁āϰ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤
14

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϘ⧁āϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇

by a roundabout or indirect path, often to bypass an obstacle
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
We could n't go through the park, so we went around instead.
āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ• āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝ⧇āϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋāύāĻŋ, āϤāĻžāχ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤ⧇ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻ—āĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
15

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϧāĻŋ

used to refer to the circumference or boundary distance of a circular object
Dialectamerican flagAmerican
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
That tire is 28 inches around.
āĻ“āχ āϟāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰāϟāĻŋ 28 āχāĻžā§āϚāĻŋ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϧāĻŋāĨ¤
01

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϘāĻŋāϰ⧇

in every direction surrounding a person or object
around definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The children sat around the campfire telling stories.
āĻļāĻŋāĻļ⧁āϰāĻž āĻ•ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻĢāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻŦāϏ⧇ āĻ—āĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āĻŦāϞāĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
1.1

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻ¤ā§āϰ

extending outward in multiple directions from a point
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The village grew around the old castle, stretching out toward the hills.
āĻ—ā§āϰāĻžāĻŽāϟāĻŋ āĻĒ⧁āϰāĻžāύ⧋ āĻĻ⧁āĻ°ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āĻĄāĻŧ⧇ āωāϠ⧇āϛ⧇, āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻĒā§āϰāϏāĻžāϰāĻŋāϤāĨ¤
02

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϘāĻŋāϰ⧇

used to indicate movement in a circular or surrounding path
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The race cars sped around the track.
āϰ⧇āϏāĻ•āĻžāϰāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŸā§āĻ°ā§āϝāĻžāϕ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āĻ—āϤāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϛ⧁āĻŸā§‡ āϗ⧇āϞāĨ¤
03

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇

used to indicate a central point or reference that serves as a basis for something
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Her research is structured around the concept of social justice.
āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ—āĻŦ⧇āώāĻŖāĻž āϏāĻžāĻŽāĻžāϜāĻŋāĻ• āĻ¨ā§āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž āϕ⧇āĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§āϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻ—āĻ āĻŋāϤāĨ¤
04

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇

used to indicate a general location or an area near a specific point
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
We stayed at a hotel around the corner.
āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϕ⧋āĻŖāĻžāϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻšā§‹āĻŸā§‡āϞ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āϤāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
05

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇

used to indicate nearness to a location
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
There are several parks around the city where you can relax.
āĻļāĻšāϰ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ• āφāϛ⧇ āϝ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āϰāĻžāĻŽ āύāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύāĨ¤
06

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āϘāĻŋāϰ⧇

in a course as to circle, bypass, or skirt something
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She threaded the needle around the edge of the fabric for a clean finish.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāϰ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĢā§āϝāĻžāĻŦā§āϰāĻŋāϕ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϏ⧁āχ āĻĨā§āϰ⧇āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
6.1

āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāύ⧋, āĻ…āϤāĻŋāĻ•ā§āϰāĻŽ āĻ•āϰāĻž

used to indicate a method of avoiding or overcoming an obstacle or difficulty
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She worked around the software bug by using an older version.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧋āύ⧋ āϏāĻ‚āĻ¸ā§āĻ•āϰāĻŖ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āϏāĻĢā§āϟāĻ“āϝāĻŧā§āϝāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻ— āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϗ⧇āϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
01

āωāĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤ, āϚāϞāϛ⧇

being present, existing, or in circulation in the current time or situation
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
There ’s a lot of interesting talent around in the art scene right now.
āĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ⧇ āĻļāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āĻĻ⧃āĻļā§āϝ⧇ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāĻ­āĻž āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϰāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
LanGeek
āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒ āĻĄāĻžāωāύāϞ⧋āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ