a round robin
Preserved but no longer current.
A petition or protest signed in a circular form, so that no name heads the list. The device is French, and the term seems to be a corruption of rond (round) ruban (a ribbon). It was first adopted by the officers of government as a means of making known their grievances.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a round robin” mean?
A petition or protest signed in a circular form, so that no name heads the list. The device is French, and the term seems to be a corruption of rond (round) ruban (a ribbon). It was first adopted by the officers of government as a means of making known their grievances.
Is “a round robin” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.