around — on all sides of; encircling
Part of speech: PREPOSITION
Definition: on all sides of; encircling
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈraʊnd/
Example Sentences
- My cat likes to sleep around my laptop when I'm working.
- There are around 50 students in our class.
- He walked around the building three times looking for the entrance.
around
PREPOSITION[/əˈraʊnd/]
on all sides of; encircling
The kids ran around the giant oak tree, laughing and chasing each other.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word developed from Middle English 'on round', combining the preposition 'on' with 'round' (meaning circular or spherical). The sense evolved from the literal concept of circular movement to the abstract meaning of surrounding or encircling something.
Breakdown
a- (preposition, from 'on') + round (circular, spherical). The prefix 'a-' derives from the Old English preposition 'on', while 'round' comes from Old French 'rond', ultimately from Latin 'rotundus' (wheel-shaped).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat likes to sleep around my laptop when I'm working.”
“There are around 50 students in our class.”
“He walked around the building three times looking for the entrance.”
“Stop fooling around and do your homework!”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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