Adjacent Words

Encircle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENCIR'CLE, v.t. ensur'cl. [from circle.]
1. To inclose or surround with a circle or ring, or with any thing in a circular form.
2. To encompass; to surround; to environ.
3. To embrace; as, to encircle one in the arms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: form a circle around; "encircle the errors" [syn: encircle, circle]
2: bind with something round or circular [syn: gird, encircle]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English enserclen Date: 15th century 1. to form a circle around ; surround 2. to pass completely around • encirclement noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (usu. foll. by with) surround, encompass. 2 form a circle round. Derivatives: encirclement n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Encircle En*cir"cle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Encircled; p. pr. & vb. n. Encircling.] [Pref. en- + circle: cf. OF. encercler.] To form a circle about; to inclose within a circle or ring; to surround; as, to encircle one in the arms; the army encircled the city. Her brows encircled with his serpent rod. --Parnell. Syn: To encompass; surround; environ; inclose.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(encircles, encircling, encircled) To encircle something or someone means to surround or enclose them, or to go round them. A forty-foot-high concrete wall encircles the jail... = surround VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Surround, encompass, environ, gird, belt, engird, enclose. 2. Embrace, fold, clasp, enfold.

Moby Thesaurus

admit, assimilate, band, begird, beleaguer, belt, belt in, beset, besiege, blockade, bound, box in, cage, chamber, cincture, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circulate, circumambulate, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumvent, close in, close the circle, come full circle, compass, complete, comprehend, comprise, confine, contain, coop, coop in, coop up, cordon, cordon off, corral, count in, cover, cycle, describe a circle, embody, embrace, encincture, enclose, encompass, engird, enshrine, ensphere, envelop, environ, envisage, fence in, fill, fill in, fill out, flank, gird, girdle, girdle the globe, go about, go around, go round, go the round, gyre, halo, harass, harry, hedge in, hem, hem in, hold, hold in, house in, impound, imprison, incarcerate, include, incorporate, invest, jail, kennel, lap, lay siege to, leaguer, loop, make a circuit, mew, mew up, number among, occupy, orbit, pen, pen in, pocket, quarantine, rail in, receive, reckon among, reckon in, reckon with, revolve, ring, round, shrine, shut in, shut up, skirt, soften up, spiral, stable, surround, take in, take into account, take into consideration, take up, twine around, wall in, wheel, wrap, wreathe, wreathe around, yard, yard up, zone