circumscribe en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Latin circumscrībō, from circum (“around”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, circum- + scribe.
Meanings
- To draw a line around; to encircle.
-
To limit narrowly; to restrict.
It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: […]; perhaps to moralise on the oneness or fragility of the planet, or to see humanity for the small and circumscribed thing that it is; […].
2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:"Well, I promise you to circumscribe her conquests as much as possible by extending my own," returned Henrietta. "It will be an easy task; for Miss Churchill does not do 'the honours of her eyes.' I often tell her her beauty is quite wasted upon her."
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Asking for an Invitation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 29:
- To draw the smallest circle or higher-dimensional sphere that has (a polyhedron, polygon, etc.) in its interior.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| circumscribing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| circumscribed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| circumscribed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| circumscribes | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Deriveds
circumscribability · circumscriber · circumscribable
Relateds
circumscribed · circumscription · circumscript
Translations (61)
et kitsendama (to limit narrowly; restrict) · pt circunscrever (to draw a line around; encircle) · pl obwieść (to draw a line around; encircle) · es circunscribir (to draw a line around; encircle) · ca circumscriure (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ru очерти́ть (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · pl opisywać (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · nl beperken (to limit narrowly; restrict) · nl omcirkelen (to draw a line around; encircle) · bg ограничавам (to limit narrowly; restrict) · cs omezit (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ru ограни́чивать (to limit narrowly; restrict) · he הגביל (to limit narrowly; restrict) · fi ympyröidä (to draw a line around; encircle) · pl okrążać (to draw a line around; encircle) · ca circumscriure (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · pl ograniczyć (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ru оче́рчивать (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · nl limiteren (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ru описа́ть (to draw a line around; encircle) · pl okrążyć (to draw a line around; encircle) · ru опи́сывать (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · fi piirtää ympyrä monikulmion kärkien kautta (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · pt circunscrever (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · he תחם (to draw a line around; encircle) · io cirkumskribar (to draw a line around; encircle) · de eingrenzen (to limit narrowly; restrict) · et piiritlema (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · ro circumscrie (to draw a line around; encircle) · cs opsat (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · cs ohraničit (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ru ограни́чить (to limit narrowly; restrict) · pt restringir (to limit narrowly; restrict) · pl obwodzić (to draw a line around; encircle) · da omskrive (to draw a line around; encircle) · sv begränsa (to limit narrowly; restrict) · pt delimitar (to limit narrowly; restrict) · bg окръжавам (to draw a line around; encircle) · nn omskrive (to draw a line around; encircle) · bg описвам (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · pt circular (to draw a line around; encircle) · fi piirtää ympäri (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · cs obkroužit (to draw a line around; encircle) · sv kringskära (to limit narrowly; restrict) · et ümbritsema (to draw a line around; encircle) · ru описа́ть (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · fr circonscrire (to draw a line around; encircle) · fi rajoittaa (to limit narrowly; restrict) · pl opisać (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · sv omskriva (to draw a line around; encircle) · fr circonscrire (to limit narrowly; restrict) · pl ograniczać (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ru опи́сывать (to draw a line around; encircle) · cs obmalovat (to draw a line around; encircle) · bg очертавам (to draw a line around; encircle) · de einkreisen (to draw a line around; encircle) · pt circunscrever (to limit narrowly; restrict) · fr circonscrire (to draw a circle, sphere, or higher-dimensional ball) · sv kringgärda (to limit narrowly; restrict) · ca circumscriure (to draw a line around; encircle) · es circunscribir (to limit narrowly; restrict)