Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: 'Around' is an adverb and a preposition. In British English, the word ‘round’ is often used instead. 'Around' is often used with verbs of movement, such as ‘walk’ and ‘drive’, and also in phrasal verbs such as ‘get ~’ and ‘hand ~’.
1.
To be positioned ~ a place or object means to surround it or be on all sides of it. To move ~ a place means to go along its edge, back to your starting point.
She looked at the papers ~ her...
...a prosperous suburb built ~ a new mosque.
PREP
•
Around is also an adverb.
...a village with a rocky river, a ruined castle and hills all ~...
The Memorial seems almost ugly, dominating the landscape for miles ~.
ADV: n ADV
2.
If you move ~ a corner or obstacle, you move to the other side of it. If you look ~ a corner or obstacle, you look to see what is on the other side.
The photographer stopped clicking and hurried ~ the corner...
I peered ~ the edge of the shed–there was no sign of anyone else.
PREP
3.
If you turn ~, you turn so that you are facing in the opposite direction.
I turned ~ and wrote the title on the blackboard...
He straightened up slowly and spun ~ on the stool to face us.
ADV: ADV after v
4.
If you move ~ a place, you travel through it, going to most of its parts. If you look ~ a place, you look at every part of it.
I’ve been walking ~ Moscow and the town is terribly quiet...
He glanced discreetly ~ the room at the other people.
PREP
•
Around is also an adverb.
He backed away from the edge, looking all ~ at the flat horizon.
ADV: ADV after v
5.
If someone moves ~ a place, they move through various parts of that place without having any particular destination.
They milled ~ the ballroom with video cameras.
PREP
•
Around is also an adverb.
My mornings are spent rushing ~ after him.
ADV: ADV after v
6.
If you go ~ to someone’s house, you visit them.
She helped me unpack my things and then we went ~ to see the other girls.
ADV: ADV after v
7.
You use ~ in expressions such as sit ~ and hang ~ when you are saying that someone is spending time in a place and not doing anything very important.
After breakfast the next morning they sat ~ for an hour discussing political affairs.
ADV: ADV after v
•
Around is also a preposition.
He used to skip lessons and hang ~ the harbor with some other boys.
PREP
8.
If you move things ~, you move them so that they are in different places.
She moved things ~ so the table was beneath the windows.
ADV: ADV after v
9.
If a wheel or object turns ~, it turns.
The boat started to spin ~ in the water.
ADV: ADV after v
10.
You use ~ to say that something happens in different parts of a place or area.
Elephants were often to be found in swamp in eastern Kenya ~ the Tana River.
...pests and diseases ~ the garden.
PREP
•
Around is also an adverb.
Giovanni has the best Parma ham for miles ~.
ADV: ADV after v, n ADV
11.
If someone or something is ~, they exist or are present in a place.
The blackbird had a quick, wary look in case the cat was anywhere ~...
Just having lots of people ~ that you can talk to is important...
ADV
12.
The people ~ you are the people who you come into contact with, especially your friends and relatives, and the people you work with.
We change our behaviour by observing the behaviour of those ~ us...
Those ~ her would forgive her for weeping.
PREP
13.
If something such as a film, a discussion, or a plan is based ~ something, that thing is its main theme.
...the gentle comedy based ~ the Larkin family...
The discussion centered ~ four subjects.
PREP
14.
You use ~ in expressions such as this time ~ or to come ~ when you are describing something that has happened before or things that happen regularly.
Senator Bentsen has declined to get involved this time ~...
When July Fourth comes ~, the residents of Columbia City throw a noisy party.
ADV: n ADV, ADV after v
15.
When you are giving measurements, you can use ~ to talk about the distance along the edge of something round.
She was 40 inches ~ the hips.
PREP
16.
Around means approximately.
My salary was ~ ?19,000 plus a car and expenses...
= about
ADV
•
Around is also a preposition.
He expects the elections to be held ~ November.
PREP
17.
Around about means approximately. (SPOKEN)
There is a Green party but it only scored ~ about 10 percent in the vote...
PREP-PHRASE
18.
You say all ~ to indicate that something affects all parts of a situation or all members of a group.
He compared the achievements of the British and the French during 1916 and concluded that the latter were better all ~.
PHRASE: cl PHR
19.
If someone has been ~, they have had a lot of experience of different people and situations. (INFORMAL)
PHRASE
20.
the other way ~: see way