round robin

== English == === Etymology === From round (adjective) +‎ robin. Sense 1 (“senses relating to something with a round shape, or which goes around”) is connected with the word round, while sense 2 (“senses relating to people, animals, or plants”) is connected with some English regional senses of the word robin where it is used in the names of various fish and plants which are not related to the red-breasted bird. However, apart from the alliteration, it is not clear why the two words came to be linked together in compounds. It is possible that the term was first used to refer to sense 1.13.1 (“consecrated host”) which appears to be the earliest attested sense, and then extended to other senses either having the sense of round or robin. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the term is a corruption of French ruban rond (literally “round ribbon”), referring to the practice in 17th-century France of signing on ribbons which were then attached to petitions of grievances in a circular manner: see sense 1.1. However, this etymology does not explain the senses of the term unrelated to a signed document. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌɹaʊnd ˈɹɒbɪn/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌɹaʊn(d) ˈɹɑbən/ Rhymes: -ɒbɪn Hyphenation: round rob‧in === Noun === round robin (plural round robins) (also attributive) Senses relating to something with a round shape, or which goes around. (originally nautical) A document (usually containing a complaint or petition) originally with the signatures arranged in a circle, and later often alphabetically, to disguise the order of signing and to indicate that the signatories are collectively responsible for it. A letter which is reproduced and sent to several people; specifically, one containing personal news sent at a particular time of year, often Christmas; a circular letter. A letter or piece of writing which is circulated among members of a group, to which each person makes a contribution before sending it to another person; also, a packet of letters circulated regularly in a fixed order among a group (often family members), whereby each person replaces their previous contribution with a new letter, and then sends the packet to the next recipient. Synonym: circle letter a round-robin novel A form of trading involving a packet of items which is circulated among members of a group, whereby each person take the items they want and replaces them with items of similar value, and then sends the packet to the next recipient. (figurative) A long, often tedious, list or piece of writing; a laundry list, a litany. (computing) A method of making use of several similar subsystems, assigning tasks to each of them in turn (for example, sending data to a destination down several communication links in turn to achieve greater combined speed). (gambling) A form of bet on the full set of possible combinations from a group of events, racehorses, teams, etc., such as the outcomes A and B, B and C, and A and C from a group consisting of A, B, and C. (music) The MIDI technique of using different sampled versions of the same sound for successive notes, to avoid an unnaturally repetitive effect. (online gaming) A method of dividing loot among a party of players by having the game assign loot, or an enemy corpse to loot, to each player in turn. (Devon, archaic) A small pancake. (originally US) A group activity in which the members take turns to perform an action. (originally US, sports, often attributive) The part of a tournament in which every player or team competes against each of the others in turn. (obsolete except historical) (Christianity, derogatory) The consecrated host used in the Eucharist. (clothing) A small ruff worn around the neck. (obsolete, road transport) A rim attached to the end of an axle of a horse carriage to prevent dirt from obstructing the axle's rotation; also, a loop from which a component of a horse carriage (such as a pole or spring) is suspended. Senses relating to people, animals, or plants. (chiefly Caribbean, US) Any of various marine fish of the genus Decapterus often called scads which have a body with an almost round cross section, especially the round scad (Decapterus punctatus); also, any of various other fish regarded as having a somewhat round shape. (archaic) (Cornwall) The fishing frog or sea devil (Lophius piscatorius), a species of monkfish. (southwest England) Any of various hedgerow plants with pink flowers, especially a red campion (Silene dioica). (obsolete) A chiefly derogatory nickname for a man. (Canada, US, rare) A freshwater sunfish native to eastern North America, either the pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) or the redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus). ==== Alternative forms ==== round-robin (attributive form) ==== Derived terms ==== round robineer round-robining round-robin story ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== (part of a tournament): all-play-all === References === === Further reading === round-robin (document) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia round-robin letter on Wikipedia.Wikipedia round-robin story on Wikipedia.Wikipedia round-robin tournament on Wikipedia.Wikipedia round-robin (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia E[benezer] Cobham Brewer (1895), “Round Robin”, in Dictionary of Phrase and Fable […], new edition, London; Paris: Cassell and Company, →OCLC, page 1078, column 2. Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “round robin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.