roundabout

Word Origin & History

"by a circuitous route," mid-14c., from round (adv.) + about. As an adjective from c.1600. Noun sense of "traffic circle" is attested from 1927.

Then by a roundabout route they started on their return to the car.

This is ingenious, but her proof, after that, is (as she candidly admits) "clumsy and roundabout."

But in a roundabout way I did get some news as to what happened.

Before the night was out, however, I had gone to work in a roundabout way.

What need of this roundabout, mysterious mode of communicating?

I looked over the room as I pulled on the roundabout borrowed of Roy.

No, I don't know any more than you do—maybe it's some roundabout way.

"It does seem rather a roundabout way of rejoining," Terence said, with a smile.

"Well, I've agreed to stand for Harsh," said Nick with a roundabout transition.

Did he know, I wondered, and was this all a roundabout way of telling me that he knew?

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adj indirect

adjective. winding

noun. merry-go-round

adjective. going around, indirect

noun. indirect speech

adjective. tautological