round-house

A sailor stands in the round-house of an old wooden ship.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A historical building: "round-house" refers to a temporary or makeshift building, often used as a lock-up or jail in historical contexts.
   • A nautical cabin: In maritime usage, a "round-house" is a cabin located at the aft (rear) part of an old sailing ship, typically used by the captain or officers.
   • A railway structure: In American and British railway terminology, a "round-house" is a circular or semi-circular building designed for housing and servicing locomotives, equipped with a turntable for rotating engines.

Usage Examples

• Historical building:
  • The town's old round-house was used to detain prisoners overnight. (A temporary jail from historical times.)
• Nautical cabin:
  • The captain retired to his round-house for the night. (A cabin at the rear of an old ship.)
• Railway structure:
  • The steam locomotive was stored in the round-house for maintenance. (A circular building for trains.)

Advanced Usage

• "round-house kick" (sports): In martial arts, a powerful kick delivered with a circular motion of the leg.
  • He knocked out his opponent with a swift round-house kick. (A kick that swings in a horizontal arc.)
• "round-house punch" (boxing): A wide, swinging punch aimed at the side of the head.
  • The boxer landed a round-house punch in the final round. (A hook-like punch with a broad trajectory.)

Variants and Related Words

• Roundhouse (n): Alternative spelling, often used as a single word.
  • The roundhouse was the largest building in the rail yard. (Same meaning as round-house.)
• Roundhousing (n, rare): The act of using a roundhouse blow or kick.
  • His roundhousing technique was effective in the fight. (The action of delivering such strikes.)

Synonyms

• Lock-up: A temporary jail (historical context).
• Turntable shed: A railway building for locomotives (specific to rail).
• Cabin: A small room on a ship (nautical context).

Related Idioms

• "No round-house": An informal phrase meaning no escape or no easy way out (rare, derived from the confined nature of a round-house).
  • After the meeting, there was no round-house from the decision. (No way to avoid the outcome.)

Additional Notes

• The word "round-house" is often hyphenated, but "roundhouse" (one word) is common in modern usage.
• In boxing and martial arts, the term "roundhouse" is used as an adjective (e.g., roundhouse kick, roundhouse punch), not as a noun for the building.