round to
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To turn the head of a ship toward the wind, especially in order to drop speed.
Register: dated
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
In less than an hour she was close to the reef, where she rounded to, and backed her topsails in order to survey the coast.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “round to” mean?
To turn the head of a ship toward the wind, especially in order to drop speed.
Is “round to” formal or informal?
round to is generally dated.