English Reference

Word

rounds

US/ˈɹaʊndz/

UK/ɹˈaʊndz/

Definitions

01medical visits

B2 · Medicine

n. the regular visits a doctor makes to see patients in a hospital.

n. the systematic circuit of hospital wards or patient rooms made by medical professionals to monitor progress and update treatments.

“The surgeon usually does her rounds early in the morning before starting operations.”

“During morning rounds, the consultant reviewed the charts of every patient in the intensive care unit to adjust their medication levels.”

Usage

Usually used in the plural form 'rounds'.

02a regular route

B2

n. a fixed route that someone follows regularly for work, like delivering mail or checking security.

n. a habitual or prescribed circuit performed by someone in authority or a service worker.

“The security guard makes his rounds every hour to ensure all the doors are locked.”

“The postal worker finished her rounds ahead of schedule despite the heavy rain and the increased volume of holiday mail.”

Synonyms

03stages of a competition

A2 · Sport

n. the plural of 'round', meaning different stages of a game or contest.

n. the plural form of 'round', referring to successive stages in a tournament or distinct periods of play in sports like boxing.

“She won the first three rounds of the tournament and made it to the final.”

“After twelve grueling rounds in the ring, the judges awarded the victory to the defending champion by a narrow margin.”

Real-World Examples

“Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “We have long called for an end to the current policy which forces students into dispiriting rounds of repeated, demotivating resits.”
The Guardian · 20 Aug 2026
“Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “We have long called for an end to the current policy which forces students into dispiriting rounds of repeated, demotivating resits.”
The Guardian · 20 Aug 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/rounds

English Reference