Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a blow delivered with a wide sweep of the arm; usu. in comb., e.g. roundhouse punch, roundhouse right.

1913		Van Loan ‘For Revenue Only’ in Lucky Seventh (2004) 208: They’ll get onto that old, round-house wallop of his.
1927		H.C. Witwer Classics in Sl. 82: ‘See can you get a laugh out of this, you big stiff!’ I yells, and stuck a roundhouse right in his pan.
1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 64: They fought [...] with haymakers and wild swishing roundhouses.
1943		R.L. Bellem ‘Phoney Shakedown’ Dan Turner - Hollywood Detective Feb. 🌐 He swung his pudgy fist in a roundhouse curve; biffed me on the button.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 299: O’Toole was winding himself up for a round-house punch calculated to go through an oak plank.
1963		B. Hecht Gaily, Gaily 112: A second roundhouse slap from Masha sent him teetering.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 180: I felt a zephyr as the round house went by.
1974		(con. 1940s) E. Thompson Tattoo (1977) 220: Glen threw another roundhouse left. Jack’s head snapped back.
1974		R. Blount About Three Bricks Shy of a Load 121: I was in a fight and I threw a big roundhouse.
1986		S. King It (1987) 494: He didn’t say a thing at first – just swung a roundhouse and knocked me flat on my back.
1999		J. Ridley Everybody Smokes in Hell 220: Slipping to one side and landing a roundhouse to Nena’s head.
2013		T. Dorsey Riptide Ultra-Glide 188: A couple of motorists screamed in each other’s face [...] Rabbit punches and roundhouse haymakers.