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 1596. Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, iii. 2. He had writhen himself into the habit of one of your poor infantry, your decay'd, ruinous, worm-eaten gentlemen of the round. Ibid. (1609), Epicœne, iv. 2. He walks the round, up and down, through every room of the house.

1620. Fletcher, Philaster, ii. 4. Come, ladies, shall we take a round? as men Do walk a mile, women should talk an hour After supper.

d. 1667. Jer. Taylor, Works (1835), I. 615. Them that drank the round, when they crouned their heads with folly and forgetfulness.

1714. Spectator, 597. Those noisy slaves take their early rounds about the city in a morning.

1715. Addison, Freeholder, No. 8. The Tories can scarce find beauties enough to supply a single round of October.

d. 1735. Granville, Epigrams, &c. [Century]. Women to cards may be compar'd; we play A round or two, when us'd, we throw away.

d. 1790. B. Franklin, Auto., 239. They would salute with some rounds fired before my door.

1827. Keble, Christian Year, 'Morning.' The trivial round, the common task.

1836. Lane, Mod. Egyptians, I. 143. They accompany the military guards in their nightly rounds through the metropolis.

1847-8. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, xxxiv. The Banbury man polished him off in four rounds.

1851-61. Mayhew, London Lab., i. 55. The costermongers have mostly their little bit of a round; that is, they go only to certain places.

1852. Judson, Myst., &c., of New York, I. 113. Taking a cruise about town, or going on a spree, is called taking a round.

1860. Punch, xxxviii. 169. How many Rounds do you say these ruffians fought?

1868. Whyte-Melville, White Rose, I. iii. The start would have ensured a round of applause from any audience in Europe.

1879. Thompson, Archery, 12. The 'National Round' shot by the ladies of Great Britain

1880. Scribner's Mag., 499. Taking his rounds periodically, giving ample warning of his approach.

1888. H. Adams, Albert Gallatin, 540. The second round in this diplomatic encounter closed with the British government fairly discomfited.

2. (tramps').—Trousers: short for round-the-houses (q.v.).

1893. Emerson, Lippo, xiv. One day he walked straight into this kitchen clobbered in a black pair of rounds, tight to his legs.

Adj. (old colloquial).—A general qualitative: = simple, straightforward, unmistakeable. Thus a round sum = (1) a large amount (B. E., Grose), and (2) a sum stated in one term: e.g., thirty pounds, thirty shillings, three pence; a round answer = plain speech; round-dealing = honest trading (B. E., Grose); round trot = a good pace; round tale = the unvarnished truth; round oath = a swingeing expletive; round-reply = a straight answer; roundly = plainly, vehemently, briskly; round (or brown) dozen (see Brown).

1240. Middle English Poem [E. E. T. S.: The Ayenbyte, &c., 234]. The tale of an hondred betokneth ane rounde figure.

1593. Harvey, Pierces Superog. [Wks., ii. 49]. Hee it is, that hath it rightly in him indeede; and can roundly doe the feate, with a witnesse.

1596. Shakspeare, M. of Venice, i. 3, 104. Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum. Ibid. (1598), Hen. V., iv. 1. Your reproof is something too round. Ibid. (1602), Hamlet, iii. 2. Let her be round with him. Ibid. (1602), Othello, i. 3, 90. I will a round un