Around

• POS: Preposition, Adverb
• HYPHEN: a=round

CIDE DICTIONARY

Around, adv. [Pref. a- + round.].

•  In a circle; circularly; on every side; round.  [1913 Webster]
•  In a circuit; here and there within the surrounding space; all about; as, to travel around from town to town.  [1913 Webster]
•  Near; in the neighborhood; as, this man was standing around when the fight took place.  [1913 Webster]

  " See Round, the shorter form, adv. & prep., which, in some of the meanings, is more commonly used."  [1913 Webster]

Around, prep. 

•  On all sides of; encircling; encompassing; so as to make the circuit of; about.  [1913 Webster]

  "A lambent flame arose, which gently spread
  Around his brows."  [1913 Webster]
•  From one part to another of; at random through; about; on another side of; as, to travel around the country; a house standing around the corner.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Around, adv. & prep.
--adv.
1 on every side; all round; round about.
2 in various places; here and there; at random (fool around; shop around).
3 colloq. a in existence; available (has been around for weeks). b near at hand (it's good to have you around).
--prep.
1 on or along the circuit of.
2 on every side of; enveloping.
3 here and there in or near (chairs around the room).
4 US (and increasingly Brit.) a round (the church around the corner). b approximately at; at a time near to (come around four o'clock; happened around June).

Idiom

have been around colloq. be widely experienced.

Etymology

A(2) + ROUND

THESAURUS

Around

about, again, alive, all about, all over, all round, all through, almost, along toward, anticlockwise, any which way, anyhow, anywise, approximately, at close quarters, at hand, at random, back, backward, by, by way of, circa, clockwise, close, close about, close at hand, close by, close upon, counterclockwise, encircling, enclosing, encompassing, enveloping, every which way, everywhence, everywhere, everywhither, existent, existing, far and wide, fast by, from every quarter, haphazard, haphazardly, hard, hard by, head over heels, heels over head, helter-skelter, here and there, hereabout, hereabouts, in a circle, in a spin, in a whirl, in all directions, in circles, in every quarter, in reverse, in spitting distance, in the neighborhood, in the vicinity, just about, living, near, near at hand, near enough to, near upon, nearabout, nearabouts, nearby, nearly, nigh, nigh about, not far, on all sides, on every side, only a step, over, passing by, passing through, random, randomly, roughly, round, round about, round and round, somewhere about, surrounding, thereabout, thereabouts, through, throughout, upwards of, via, widdershins, within call, within earshot, within hearing, within reach

ROGET THESAURUS

Around

Circumjacence

N circumjacence, circumambience, environment, encompassment, atmosphere, medium, surroundings, outpost, border, girdle, outskirts, boulebards, suburbs, purlieus, precincts, faubourgs, environs, entourage, banlieue, neighborhood, vicinage, vicinity, circumjacent, circumambient, circumfluent, ambient, surrounding, circumferential, suburban, around, about, without, on every side, on all sides, right and left, all round, round about.