"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.
hear in a roundabout way that her ex-husband was marrying her best friend
a roundabout paragraph
a roundabout route avoided rush-hour traffic
roughness
roughshod
roulette
round
round robin
roundabout
roundel
roundelay
rounder
Roundhead
roundhouse
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