Rotund
/roʊˈtʌnd/noun
Round or rounded in shape, or characterized by a full, rich sound or style.
Did you know?Rotund comes from Latin imagery of the wheel, whose circular form became a metaphor for bodily shape and later for a full, resonant speaking voice.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ret-
“To run, roll, or move in a turning motion.”
Classical Latin
Latin
rota
“Wheel; a circular object that turns.”
Classical Latin
Latin
rotundus
“Round, circular, or wheel-shaped.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
rotundus
“Round or well-formed; also applied to polished, rounded expression.”
15th Century
English
rotund
“Round or rounded in bodily form.”
Modern English
English
rotund
“Round in shape, or full and sonorous in sound or expression.”