Dictionary

encircle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈsɝkl̩/ (General-American)
• /ɪnˈsɜːkl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [n̩̊.sɹ̩.kɫ̩] (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English en- Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin circulus Old French cerclebor. Middle English circle English circle English encircle From en- + circle.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To surround, form a circle around.
   • Down through the centuries, as the Holy Spirit graces person after person in land after land, they form together a grand company of "friends of God and prophets" (Wis. 7:27); a community of holy people endeavoring to live their lives praising God, loving each other and struggling for justice and peace. This is a company that not only encircles the globe in space but stretches backward and forward in time. 2000 June 17, Elizabeth A. Johnson, “Mary of Nazareth: Friend of God and Prophet”, in America, volume 182, number 21:
   • "Friday!" she called out, bursting open the doors and quickly encircling her friend in the warmth of her arms. 1983 February 5, Andrea Loewenstein, “Snowbound”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 28, page 10:
   • […]two Russian armies would advance into East Prussia, one westward from the Niemen, the other northward from the Narew, with the object of encircling and immobilizing all enemy forces there. 1989, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, translated by H. T. Willetts, August 1914, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 70:
2. (transitive) To move or go around completely.
   • It is also customary in the Orient and among Sephardim for the mourners to encircle the coffin of an erudite person seven times and recite Yoshayv besayter while making each circuit. 1996, Macy Nulman, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer, page 385:

Forms

Deriveds

encirclingly · encircler · encirclet · unencircled · encirclement

Synonyms

circulize · orb · encompass

Translations (66)

mi whiwhi (surround) · fur contornâ (surround) · ro încercui (surround) · pt cercar (surround) · bg обкръжавам (surround) · fur circundâ (surround) · la circumdō (surround) · te గిరికొను (surround) · ro înconjura (surround) · mi awhe (surround) · cmn 環繞 /环绕 (surround) · ota چنبرلمك (surround) · ru окружа́ть (surround) · hu körbevesz (surround) · fa فراگیری (surround) · it cingere (surround) · gd cuairtich (surround) · sa वेवेष्टि (surround) · ga timpeallaigh (surround) · sh zaokružiti (surround) · cy amgylchynu (surround) · sh okružiti (surround) · fr encercler (surround) · mi taiāwhio (to move or go around completely) · it circondare (surround) · pl otaczać (surround) · gl cercar (surround) · grc κυκλόω (surround) · fi ympäröidä (surround) · mi pākaka (surround) · te చుట్టుకొను (surround) · cmn 包圍 /包围 (surround) · mn тойруулах (surround) · fa محاصره کردن (to move or go around completely) · mnc ᡨᠣᡵᡥᠣᠮᠪᡳ (surround) · mi tarawhiti (surround) · pl okrążyć (surround) · de umzingeln (surround) · es circuir (surround) · ca encerclar (surround) · eo ĉirkaŭi (surround) · io encirkligar (surround) · ga ciorclaigh (surround) · mi whakatāewa (surround) · pl otoczyć (surround) · es circundar (surround) · it accerchiare (surround) · el περικυκλώνω (surround) · nl omsingelen (surround) · mi whawhe (surround) · cy cylchu (surround) · fur cercenâ (surround) · fur cenzi (surround) · pl okrążać (surround) · ru окружи́ть (surround) · fa فراگرفتن (to move or go around completely) · mi ponitaka (surround) · uk оточи́ти (surround) · ota صارمق (surround) · ro împresura (surround) · fa محاصره (surround) · it contornare (surround) · fi saartaa (surround) · uk ото́чувати (surround) · rup ntsircljedz (surround) · de einfassen (surround)