English

Verb

round off ‎(third-person singular simple present rounds off, present participle rounding off, simple past and past participle rounded off)

1. To change the shape of an object to make it more circular.
2. (mathematics) To change a number into an approximation having fewer significant digits.

   Round off 15.4 to 15, round off 15.51 to 15.5 or to 16, round off 0.499 to 0, and round off 970,000 to 1 million.‎

   "This product contains no PCBs" is a typical commercial distortion if it actually contains 0.498 of the measurement unit, rounded off to "0"‎

3. To complete or finish something.
   • 2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC:

     Manchester United's in-form striker rose to head home Stewart Downing's corner and then rounded off a sweeping counter-attack involving Theo Walcott and Ashley Young to wrap up the formalities seconds before the break.

Related terms

• round-off error
• round to (the nearest)
• round down
• round out
• round up

Translations

See also

• round number