roundup
B2Neutral to Informal (especially in news/media contexts)
Definition
Meaning
The act of gathering or collecting people, animals, or things together.
1. A summary or overview, especially of news or information. 2. The act of forcing suspects to assemble for arrest or identification by the police. 3. A social gathering. 4. (Agriculture) The act of herding cattle or other livestock together.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, it is mostly count (a roundup). The verb is a phrasal verb, 'to round up'. The concept often implies gathering that is systematic, official, or for a specific purpose, not random.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term. Slightly more common in US media for 'news roundup'. 'Cattle roundup' is strongly associated with US/Western culture.
Connotations
UK: Often tied to police operations or news summaries. US: Carries stronger connotations of the American West (cowboys) in addition to media/police use.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English, particularly in media and law enforcement jargon.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N roundup of Nconduct/carry out a roundupbe included in the roundupgive/provide a roundup of NVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Head 'em up, move 'em out! (associated with cattle roundups)”
- “A roundup of the usual suspects”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A quarterly sales roundup was presented to the board.
Academic
The lecture began with a roundup of recent research in the field.
Everyday
Here's a quick roundup of what's on TV tonight.
Technical
The software generates a daily roundup of system errors.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The police will round up the suspects for questioning.
- Could you round up the figures to the nearest pound?
American English
- The sheriff deputized locals to help round up the stray cattle.
- Let's round up some volunteers for the clean-up day.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher did a roundup of the new words.
- I'll give you a quick roundup of the main points from the meeting.
- The film is a comedy about a cattle roundup.
- The blog's weekly roundup of tech news is very popular.
- After the protests, police conducted a roundup of known activists.
- The annual roundup of charitable donations exceeded all expectations, reflecting strong community engagement.
- His article provided a incisive roundup of the geopolitical shifts of the decade.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of cowboys creating a ROUND circle (ROUND) to bring cattle UP (UP) into a group.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS LIVESTOCK (to be herded together).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как "круг" или "округление".
- "Roundup" (новостей) ≠ "круглый стол".
- Глагол "to round up" (округлять *число*) отличается от существительного "roundup".
Common Mistakes
- Using 'round up' as a noun without the hyphen (Incorrect: 'a round up'; Correct: 'a roundup').
- Confusing 'roundup' (event/summary) with 'round-up' (the action, though often interchangeable).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'roundup' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The noun is typically written as one word: 'roundup'. The verb phrase is two words: 'round up'.
No, 'roundup' is only a noun. The verb is the phrasal verb 'to round up'.
A 'roundup' is a specific type of summary that implies gathering items from various sources into one list or overview, often quickly. A 'summary' is more general.
Only when it's a proper noun, like the brand name of a herbicide (Roundup®). The common noun is lowercase.