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round up

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round someone or something up

to locate and gather someone or something. Please round the suspects up for questioning. The police rounded up the two possible suspects.

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round something up

 

1. to collect a group of people or things; to organize people or things into a group. The cowboys rounded up the cattle for market. See if you can round some helpers up.

2. to change a number to the next higher whole number. (See also round off to something.) I rounded up 8.789 to 9. You should round $65.99 up to $66.

See also: round, up

round up somebody/something

also round somebody/something up

to gather people, animals, or things together into one place Two dogs helped round up the sheep. Time to round everybody up! Dinner is ready!

See also: round, up

round up something

also round something up

to increase an amount to the next higher whole number Round all of the numbers up to the nearest tenth. All measurements have been rounded up and are not exact.

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round up

Collect or gather in a body, as in We'll have to round up some more volunteers for the food drive, or The police rounded up all the suspects. This term comes from the West, where since the mid-1800s it has been used for collecting livestock by riding around the herd and driving the animals together. By about 1875 it was extended to other kinds of gathering together.

See also: round, up

round up

v.

1. To herd some cattle together from various places: In the evening it's time to round up the herd. The ranchers rounded the younger cattle up to brand them.

2. To seek out and bring some people or things together; gather some people or things: We rounded up all of our neighbors to help clean the park. Go out and round the kids up for dinner.

3. To change some exact number to the nearest whole number above it: The statistician rounded 4.612 up to 5. When you take the test, round up your answers.

See also: round, up