/rown"ding/ , adj.
1. round or nearly round.
2. of, pertaining to, or used for making something round.
3. turning, curving, or circling around.
4. pertaining to the mathematical process of rounding: a rounding error.
n.
5. the act or process of making something round.
6. Math.
a. the process of replacing a number by another number of approximately the same value but having fewer digits: To the nearest dollar, the rounding of $27.68 yields $28.
b. a similar process that specifies one of various rules. Generally, the number is first truncated to one or two digits more than is desired; then the last one or two digits are adjusted in a specified way in order to reflect the magnitude of the original number. In rounding the final digits, 0-4 are simply dropped, 6-9 are dropped after the preceding digit is increased by 1, and 5 is handled in various ways depending on the surrounding digits and the particular convention being followed. Cf. truncate (def. 2).
[ 1545-55; ROUND 1 + -ING 2 , -ING 1 ]