around
/əˈɹaʊnd/ preposition A1- Forming a circle or closed curve containing (something). · She wore a gold chain around her neck.· I planted a row of lilies around the statue.
- Centred upon; surrounding; regarding. · We could use some clarification around the new rules.· There has been a lot of controversy around the handling of personal information.
- Following the perimeter of a specified area and returning to the starting point. · We walked around the football field.· She went around the track fifty times.
- Following a path which curves near an object, with the object on the inside of the curve. · The road took a brief detour around the large rock formation, then went straight on.
- Near; in the vicinity of; approximately. · I left my keys somewhere around here.· I left the house around 10 this morning.
- At or to various places within or throughout. · The pages from the notebook were scattered around the room.· Those teenagers like to hang around the mall.
- So as to avoid something. · Our product designs around the existing patents to avoid infringing them.
From the library
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side.
“Madame,” replied Villefort, with a mournful smile, “I have already had the honor to observe that my father has—at least, I hope so—abjured his past errors, and that he is, at the present moment, a firm and zealous friend to religion and order—a better royalist, possibly, than his son; for he has to atone for past dereliction, while I have no other impulse than warm, decided preference and conviction.” Having made this well-turned speech, Villefort looked carefully around to mark the effect of his oratory, much as he would have done had he been addressing the bench in open court.
I went all the way around by the road to lengthen out the time.
“How can I tell you?” replied he; “I am, like yourself, utterly bewildered at all that is going on, and cannot in the least make out what it is about.” Caderousse then looked around for Fernand, but he had disappeared.
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