roundabout

CEFRB1

/ˈɹaʊndəˌbaʊt/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A circular road junction where traffic moves around a center.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Indirect and taking a longer path than necessary.

Examples

  • Don't say it in a roundabout way.

  • The purpose of a roundabout is to slow down traffic.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈɹuːndəˌbuːt/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island.

  2. Encircling; enveloping; comprehensive.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Indirect, circuitous, or circumlocutionary.

More examples

In context

  • [S]he fled, running like a deer, doubling and turning through alleys and back streets until by a very roundabout road she reached her own room.

  • "Really, Bill, I think your best plan would be to go straight to father and tell him the whole thing.—You don't want him to hear about it in a roundabout way."

  • Mr. Rather flew to the area in a roundabout fashion, first landing in Bahrain, from there flying to Islamabad and then heading to Kabul by land.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The driver slowed down when approaching the blank to decide which exit to take.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From round + about [from early 20th c.].