roundabout

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From round +‎ about.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

roundabout (comparative more roundabout, superlative most roundabout)

  1. Indirect, circuitous or circumlocutionary; that does not do something in a direct way.
    using roundabout speech instead of getting to the point
    • Burke
      We have taken a terrible roundabout road.
    • 1953, Ludwig Von Mises, The Theory of Money and Credit, ISBN 978-1-933550-55-8, page 361:
      It is true that longer roundabout processes of production may yield an absolutely greater return than shorter processes.
  2. Encircling; enveloping; comprehensive.
    • John Locke
      Large, sound, roundabout sense.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

roundabout (plural roundabouts)

  1. (chiefly UK, New Zealand and Australia) A road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island
  2. (chiefly UK) A children's play apparatus, often found in parks, which rotates around a central axis when pushed.
  3. A fairground carousel.
  4. A detour
  5. A short, close-fitting coat or jacket worn by men or boys, especially in the 19th century.

Derived terms[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]