roundabout

  • 1Roundabout — Round a*bout , a. 1. Circuitous; going round; indirect; as, roundabout speech. [1913 Webster] We have taken a terrible roundabout road. Burke. [1913 Webster] 2. Encircling; enveloping; comprehensive. Large, sound, roundabout sense. Locke. [1913… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2roundabout — [roun′də bout΄] adj. 1. not straight or straightforward; indirect; circuitous [roundabout answers] 2. encircling; enclosing; surrounding n. 1. something that is indirect or circuitous ☆ 2. a short, tight jacket or coat formerly worn by men and… …

    English World dictionary

  • 3Roundabout — Round a*bout , n. 1. A large horizontal wheel or frame, commonly with wooden horses, etc., on which children ride; a merry go round; a carousel. [British] Smart. [1913 Webster +PJC] 2. A dance performed in a circle. Goldsmith. [1913 Webster] 3. A …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4roundabout — index circuitous, devious, discursive (digressive), indirect, labyrinthine, oblique (evasive) …

    Law dictionary

  • 5roundabout — (adv.) by a circuitous route, 1870, from ROUND (Cf. round) (adv.) + ABOUT (Cf. about). Noun sense of traffic circle is attested from 1927 …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6roundabout — *indirect, circuitous Analogous words: sinuous, *winding, tortuous, flexuous …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 7roundabout — [adj] indirect ambiguous, circuitous, circular, circumlocutory, collateral, deviating, devious, discursive, evasive, meandering, oblique, obliquitous, periphrastic, taking the long way*, tortuous; concepts 559,581,584 Ant. direct, honest,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 8roundabout — ► NOUN Brit. 1) a road junction at which traffic moves in one direction round a central island to reach one of the roads converging on it. 2) a large revolving device in a playground, for children to ride on. 3) a merry go round. ► ADJECTIVE ▪… …

    English terms dictionary

  • 9Roundabout — This article is about the road junction. For other uses, see Roundabout (disambiguation). Movement within a roundabout in a country where traffic drives on the right. Note the anticlockwise circulation …

    Wikipedia

  • 10roundabout — round|a|bout1 [ˈraundəbaut] n BrE 1.) a raised circular area where three or more roads join together and which cars must drive around American Equivalent: traffic circle ▪ Turn left at the first roundabout. →↑mini roundabout 2.) a round structure …

    Dictionary of contemporary English