round to

present singular third person rounds to · participle present rounding to · participle past rounded to · past rounded to

1. datedintransitivenauticalTo turn the head of a ship toward the wind, especially in order to drop speed.

   In less than an hour she was close to the reef, where she rounded to, and backed her topsails in order to survey the coast.

   1857, R. M. Ballantyne, The Coral Island

   1 more example

   1899', Henry Billings Brown, The New York she received a signal of two blasts from the steamer Burlington, which, with four barges in tow, had gone down the Canadian side of the river, and was then rounding to at the coal dock on the American side, exhibiting her masthead and green lights to the Conemaugh.

   Synonyms: come to, head up