Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

round-robin
     
         A {scheduling} {algorithm} in which processes are
        activated in a fixed cyclic order.  Those which cannot proceed
        because they are waiting for some event (e.g. termination of a
        {child process} or an input/output operation) simply return
        control to the scheduler.  The virtue of round-robin
        scheduling is its simplicity - only the processes themselves
        need to know what they are waiting for or how to tell if it
        has happened.  However, if a process goes back to sleep just
        before the event for which it is waiting occurs then the event
        will not get handled until all the other processes have been
        activated.
     
        Compare {priority scheduling}.
     
        (1996-02-10)