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round

round

387 7.2
A single bullet or shell used in a gun
  • noun
  • /raʊnd/
translation icon : cartucho
  • They're solid core copper and steel rounds that tumble on impact.
  • fire rounds
  • mortar rounds
  • rounds and rockets

You saved the last pistol round you have for yourself.

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Examples

  • The soldier counted the few remaining rounds in his ammunition pouch before the next battle.

  • Every round of ammunition in the village.

  • You saved the last pistol round you have for yourself.

  • Some guns had just one or two rounds to fire per day.

  • How many rounds you got left in the gun?

  • Ready or not, we're going to load this round.

  • Nor, for that matter, was a single round of U.S. Army ammunition wasted that night, either.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Police and the gunman fired more than 30 rounds at one another before May was shot and killed.

    Academic text (2016)
  • A bar girl named Mani poured Wutai and me a round of black coffee.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Sheriff's rifle squad stormed offices of Friends of American Liberty, fired off 800 rounds of ammunition.

Synonyms

bullet
vsround
2.2

A small metal object fired from a gun

refers to the whole prepared load including case and propellant, not only the projectile
gunshot
vsround
228 2.3

An event when someone shoots a gun and a bullet leaves the gun

refers to the ammunition item rather than the firing action or sound
one shot
vsround
  • Specialized
66 4.1

A single bullet and its case ready to be fired from a gun

is the standard single-word label for that charge
cartridge
vsround
  • Specialized
24 4.7

A metal or plastic case that holds a bullet and powder for a gun

is the broader name for a prepared charge, not only this container
artillery shell
vsround
  • Specialized
8 7.5

A metal object fired from a large gun that often has an explosive inside

is the general term for any single charge, not only large explosive projectiles
shotgun shell
vsround
  • Specialized
7 3.8

A small case filled with many small metal balls that is fired from a shotgun

is the general single charge term not specific to that weapon
rifle shot
vsround
1 3.7

A single firing of a rifle that makes a loud sound

is the general prepared charge term, not limited to that weapon or act
shotshell
vsround
  • Specialized
1 5.9

A small cartridge for a shotgun that holds many small pellets or one slug

is the general charge term not limited to this ammunition type
case shot
vsround
  • Archaic
1 9.8

A metal cylinder filled with small balls fired from a cannon to spread them widely

is the general prepared charge category rather than this spreading type
unit of ammunition
vsround
  • Specialized
5.6

A single bullet or shell ready to be fired

is the general term for that single ammunition item
round shot
vsround
  • Archaic
9.9

A solid metal ball used in cannons in the past

is the modern broad term for a prepared firing charge for any gun

Idioms

a round of
  • Informal
10 3.5

A set of drinks bought for everyone, with people taking turns to pay

Happens all day and night without stopping

in the round
  • Jargon
4 4.7

People sit in a circle so everyone can see and take part

To become so angry or stressed that you cannot think clearly

1 5.2

To keep doing the same thing without making progress

A person who does not fit into a job or group

To come together to show strong support for a leader or the country in danger

1 8.2

A person who behaves very strangely or does not think clearly

9.9

To finally do something you have been putting off for a long time

Compounds

131 2.5

The first set of matches in a competition where all players or teams play

66 3.0

Happening or available all year

A short time when many people clap to show approval

46 1.6

A journey to a place and back to where you started

Happening all day and all night without stopping

10 2.3

An occasion of playing all holes on a golf course, usually 18 holes

A set of drinks bought for everyone in a group at the same time

A ticket that lets you travel to a place and back

7 3.3

A discussion where people who are equal share ideas about a topic

Round Table
  • Literature
7 6.5

A large round table in stories about King Arthur where knights sit as equals

A round ride with seats shaped like animals that turns for people to sit on

4 9.1

A member of King Arthur's court who sits at the Round Table and is brave and fair

merry-go-round
  • Texting
4 4.1

A repeating cycle of events that seems pointless and has no end

2 4.0

A competition where each team or player plays every other

1 1.0

A curved form with no sharp corners like a circle

round trip
  • Specialized
1 3.9

The time it takes for data to go and come back over a network

1 5.8

A cut of beef from the rear leg used for pot roast

1 3.2

Usual tasks a person does every day

quarter round
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small curved strip of wood or plastic used where a floor meets a wall to hide the gap

1 6.8

A bone that is roughly round in shape, often from animals

1 3.1

A lean cut of beef from the back leg of a cow

round window
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A small opening in the inner ear wall that leads to the part that senses sound

1 5.6

Having a curved bottom rather than a flat one

round-nose
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Pliers with smooth rounded jaws used to bend wire and make loops

round-nose
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A bullet with a rounded tip that is less likely to go through things

1 2.7

A regular route for delivering newspapers often done by a young person before school

theater in the round
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A theater where the audience sits around a central stage

1 5.1

A lean piece of beef from the upper back leg used for roasting or thin slicing

1 8.2

A quick collection of money from a group for a gift or charity

7.0

A round table where King Arthur and his knights sat as equals

merry-go-round
  • Texting
3.8

A set of images on a website that change automatically or when you click

People move together in a circle following set steps, often with partners

round file
  • Specialized
7.0

A metal tool with a round shape to smooth or widen holes

round file
  • Informal
7.8

A joking name for a trash can where unwanted papers go

round hand
  • Archaic
9.5

A clear style of writing with large round letters

round angle
  • Specialized
4.6

A full circle that measures 360 degrees

round arch
  • Specialized
4.1

A curved half-circle shape above a door or bridge seen in Roman buildings

5.7

A large clam you can eat with a hard rounded shell

5.4

Couples perform planned steps while moving in a circle to music guided by a leader

A small tree from East Asia that makes round orange fruits with sweet peel and sour flesh

A cord of tissue on each side of the womb that runs to the outer female genital area

round shot
  • Archaic
9.9

A solid metal ball used in cannons in the past

A letter signed by many people to show a shared opinion

round robin
  • Specialized
3.9

A way of giving tasks to computers one after another

9.3

A small long thin fish that lives near coasts in the western Atlantic

8.1

A large tent that holds people for a circus show

round whitefish
  • Specialized
9.3

A freshwater fish with a bronze back and white belly from northern lakes and rivers

round-arm
  • Specialized
7.3

A way of using the arm that swings out at shoulder height to throw or hit in sports like cricket

round-bottom flask
  • Specialized
4.9

A glass container with a round body and a narrow neck used for heating or mixing chemicals

A thing with a curved bottom that rolls and is hard to stand

round-fruited
  • Specialized
4.3

A plant or tree that grows round fruit like berries

A garden plant with a round bulb and purple flower head used for food and decoration

9.9

A North American orchid with two round leaves and greenish white flowers on one stalk

Having a rounded end often found on tools like scissors

9.9

A brown mushroom with a pink stem and smooth round spores that grows on wood

round-trip light time
  • Specialized
9.6

The time it takes for a light signal to travel to a spacecraft or planet and back

A meeting where people at the same level discuss a subject together

A small animal like a rat that lives in Florida wetlands and has a round tail

A team that watches a place all day and night to keep it safe

Surface Forms

round singular
rounds plural

Etymology

A helpful way to remember round for a single bullet is to think of an old, small, round piece of shot; a 'round' became the word for one cartridge or bullet ready to fire.