around

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled aroun and roun

US /əˈɹuːnd/ UK /əˈɹaʊnd/ See IPA manual

adv prep Freq #179

Meanings

1

prep
Surrounding or on every side of something.

She wore a gold chain around her neck.
2

adv
Roughly; approximately.

The pot held around a litre of water.
3

adv
In many different places or in every direction.

Dirty clothes were lying around the room.
4

adv
In a circle or turning movement.

The wheels were spinning around.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adv · roughly; approximately. about

3 adv · in many different places or... about

Word family

Derived forms all-aroundaround-the-clockaroundnesscome-arounddial-aroundgo-aroundhang-aroundkickaroundreach-aroundring-around-the-rosyroundrun-around

Related forms about 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”)).

arounde Middle English a- Old English round Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words Space, Position & Direction

# around

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, prep
**IPA (US):** əˈɹuːnd
**IPA (UK):** əˈɹaʊnd
**Frequency rank:** 179

## Meanings
1. Surrounding or on every side of something.
2. Roughly; approximately.
3. In many different places or in every direction.
4. In a circle or turning movement.

## Examples
- She wore a gold chain around her neck.
- The pot held around a litre of water.
- Dirty clothes were lying around the room.
- The wheels were spinning around.

## Derived Forms
- all-around
- around-the-clock
- aroundness
- come-around
- dial-around
- go-around
- hang-around
- kickaround
- reach-around
- ring-around-the-rosy
- round
- run-around

## Related Forms
- about
- round

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: arounde
- Root: a-
- Root: 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”)).

## AI Etymology
Around comes from Middle English around, arounde, from a- (from Old English a- (“on, at”)) plus Middle English round (“circle, round”), borrowed from French, equivalent to a- plus round. Cognate with Scots aroond, aroon (“around”). It displaced earlier Middle English umbe, embe (“around”), from Old English ymbe (“around”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adverbial form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words
- Space, Position & Direction

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