preposition / adverb
around
Near or on various sides of a position.
The children sit around the table while their grandmother tells a story.
Etymology
The pieces express being in an encircling position. From that spatial image, around can describe locations on various sides of a point or more generally nearby.
More examples
- We expect to arrive around six.
- She turns around when she hears her name.
- I looked around the neighborhood for the missing dog.