1 C1 neutral
Nautical: to pull a rope, sheet, or line inward by hand.
"Round in the mainsheet as we come into the wind."
separable
round in
C1 neutral separable transitive
Nautical: to pull in or haul a rope or line by hand.
In plain English
On a boat, to pull a rope towards you to tighten or gather it.
What does "round in" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bring something in by rounding (winding) it — specific to rope-handling.
Actually means
On a boat, to pull a rope towards you to tighten or gather it.
Usage tip
Specialist nautical vocabulary. Rarely heard outside sailing and maritime contexts. Equivalent to 'haul in' in general speech.
Words that pair with "round in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rope line sheet slack cable hawser
How to conjugate "round in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
round in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rounds in
he/she/it
Past simple
rounded in
yesterday
Past participle
rounded in
have + pp
-ing form
rounding in
continuous
Hear "round in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "round in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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