round-robin
UK[ˌraʊnd ˈrɒbɪn]US[ˌraʊnd ˈrɑːbɪn]
adj
Referring to a tournament in which each competitor plays in turn against every other.
adj
Denoting a system or process in which items are dealt with, or people are given turns, in a fixed order that is repeated.
n
A tournament in which each competitor plays in turn against every other.
n
A petition or letter, especially one with signatures written in a circle to conceal the order of signing.
Morpheme Breakdown
round
robin
round
circular
robin
name
Etymology
The term 'round-robin' originated in 17th-century British nautical slang. It described a petition of grievance, on which the signatures were written in a circular pattern to disguise who signed first and thus protect the ringleader from identification. The 'round' refers to this circular arrangement, while 'robin' is likely an arbitrary extension, perhaps influenced by the common bird's name used in other phrases (like 'round robin' for a type of letter). The logic of circularity and equitable, repeated turns was then extended to sports tournaments in the late 19th century, where each contestant meets all others in a rotating, systematic order. This evolution perfectly captures the core concept: a system designed for fairness and completeness through a cyclical, non-hierarchical structure.
Analysis
Structure: round (circular) + robin (name)
- round: From Old French rond, from Latin rotundus (circular, spherical). In this compound, it functions as an adjective implying circularity or rotation.
- robin: From the personal name Robin (a diminutive of Robert). In this compound, it functions as a noun, originally referring to the common European bird (Erithacus rubecula) and later used in various idiomatic expressions.
Examples
The chess club organized a round-robin tournament so every player could face each other.
The team uses a round-robin scheduling algorithm to allocate CPU time to processes.
The sailors presented a round-robin letter of protest to the captain.