Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ROTUND
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ROTUND:
Say it "ro TUND."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
After Dorothy accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East, the Mayor steps in with his rotund body and his rotund manner of speaking:
"As Mayor of Munchkin City,
In the County of the Land of Oz,
I welcome you most regally.
But we've got to verify it legally, to see...if she...
Is morally, ethically
Spiritually, physically
Positively, absolutely
Undeniably and reliably dead."
Don't you love that? He illustrates both meanings of the word rotund. Round in figure, and "round," or grand, in speech.
Rotund traces back to the Latin rota, meaning "wheel," closely related to rotare, "to turn around." That's why it looks like all kinds of words involving wheels and turning, like roll, round, around, rotate, roulette, rotary, rodeo (literally a round-up, y'all), and rotavirus:
See if you can recall another member of the rota/rotare family: literally "with round mouth," the adjective _rot___ means "strong and clear" or "sounding overly fancy."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Rotund" comes from a Latin word meaning "round, like a wheel."
Literally speaking, something rotund is round: it's circular, or spherical like a ball. In other words, to be rotund is to be circular, spherical, or just chubby or round-ish.
Consider how someone who talks with a very round mouth might be talking in a grand, showy way; and how someone who sings with a very round mouth might be singing in a full, strong way. Figuratively speaking, then, something rotund seems grand and showy, or sounds full and strong. But we don't often use this figurative meaning.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: adjective: "a rotund hedgehog," "their speaking style has grown even more rotund."
Other common forms: rotundly & rotundity (or, if you prefer, "rotundness").
how to use it:
"Rotund" is a semi-common word. It can be an elegant, slightly less rude way of describing someone's body, compared to blunt words like "hefty" or "chunky," or clinical words like "obese" or "overweight."
So I suppose if you have a good reason, you might describe rotund people, bodies, waistlines, faces, etc. Many writers do.
But you're on safer (politer) ground if you stick to describing rotund animals and objects. How about penguins, pineapples, and pincushions?
To use the figurative meaning--which, again, is rare--talk about rotund voices, statements, music, singing, speeches, styles of writing, etc.
examples:
"Thomas Nast, political cartoonist extraordinaire... [created] the rotund, resplendent figure of Santa Claus."
— Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 19 December 2018
"The joy of this... game comes from admiring these cats. Some are fluffy and rotund, while others are bizarre-looking and scrawny."
— Shannon Liao, The Verge, 4 March 2018
has this page helped you understand "rotund"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "rotund" without saying "hefty" or "resonant."
try it out:
In Wild Adventures 'Round the Pole, Gordon Stables describes a beautiful dessert:
"In size, in odour, and beauty of rotundity, the plum-pudding that two stalwart men carried in and placed in front of Neptune, was something to remember for ever and a day."
With this lovely, hefty dish in mind as an example, describe some other thing that strikes you with its beauty of rotundity. It might be another dessert; or a toy; a pet, a wild animal, or a stuffed animal; or a piece of art, jewelry, furniture, or architecture.
Or, describe some other thing that seems, if not beautifully rotund, adorably rotund. I'm partial to my daughter's rotund Squishmallow.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
This month, our game is called "Fix the Grand Spell which was Cast by Short Words."
(Or, in monstrously inflated terms, the game is called "Rewrite the Extraordinary Incantation which was Executed by Monosyllabic Vocables.")
In each issue, I'll offer a familiar quote that I've heartlessly hypertrophied with polysyllabic transplants. You'll restore the quote to its original version, with each word just one syllable long.
That is to say, I'll share a fat, fake draft of a famed quote; you'll say the trim real one.
For example, if I say "Exploit an opportunity while the situation allows," then you say, "Make hay while the sun shines." If I say, "Durations remedy every laceration," then you say, "Time heals all wounds."
From the previous issue:
"To possess certitude is to possess devices for aviation." --> "To have faith is to have wings."
Try this today: "I identified the considerable emptiness in your essence, and you identified mine."
Say that, but in words of one beat each.
Clues:
Where it's from: a novel.
The year we first heard it: 1993.
review this word:
A. FRESH.
B. SLENDER.
C. AGREEABLE.
2. A Flat Earther is someone who hopes to _____ the planet's rotundity.
A. uncover
B. disprove
C. promote
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
After Dorothy accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East, the Mayor steps in with his rotund body and his rotund manner of speaking:
"Rotund" comes from a Latin word meaning "round, like a wheel."
Part of speech: adjective: "a rotund hedgehog," "their speaking style has grown even more rotund."
"Rotund" is a semi-common word. It can be an elegant, slightly less rude way of describing someone's body, compared to blunt words like "hefty" or "chunky," or clinical words like "obese" or "overweight."
"Thomas Nast, political cartoonist extraordinaire... [created] the rotund, resplendent figure of Santa Claus."
Explain the meaning of "rotund" without saying "hefty" or "resonant."
In Wild Adventures 'Round the Pole, Gordon Stables describes a beautiful dessert:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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