Roundabout / noun / round·a·bout

A roundabout is a type of intersection that consists of a circular road with several lanes going in all directions. Traffic moving around the circle goes in a reverse direction so that it can eventually exit at the same spot as when it entered.

The purpose of a roundabout is to reduce congestion and make driving easier and more efficient. In English, we call a roundabout built on main thoroughfares and roads a traffic circle.

In a Sentence

The woman got very confused when she missed the exit for the roundabout and ended up on the wrong side of town.

Make a left at the roundabout, and you will reach your destination immediately after you make the turn.

He was beating around the bush, which confirmed her suspicions that he had been cheating on her in a roundabout way.

Etymology

We derived the word roundabout from a combination of Middle English and Old English words describing circumference or a rotating and spinning motion. English speakers began using the word roundabout to depict a circuitous course in the mid-13th century. English speakers still use it to describe traffic circles and similar circuitous routes today.

Synonym

Traffic circle, Circuitous

Antonym

Straight