Dictionary

encirclement en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈsɜː(ɹ)kəlmənt/
• (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 Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English encirclement From encircle + -ment.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of encircling or the state of being encircled
2. (countable, uncountable) The isolation of a target by the formation of a blockade around it
   • Not only did it give the Russians an abiding fear of encirclement, whether by nomadic hordes or by nuclear-missile sites, but it also launched them on their relentless drive eastwards and southwards into Asia, and eventually collision with the British in India. 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 9:

Forms

Deriveds

operational encirclement

Translations (43)

fi motitus (isolation of a target) · bg обкръже́ние (act of encircling) · de Einkesselung (isolation of a target) · cy amgylchyniad (isolation of a target) · ru окруже́ние (isolation of a target) · ja 包囲 (act of encircling) · fi piiritys (isolation of a target) · ro încercuire (act of encircling) · uk ото́чення (isolation of a target) · tr kuşatma (act of encircling) · de Einkesseln (isolation of a target) · hy շրջափակում (isolation of a target) · ru окруже́ние (act of encircling) · mi ponitakatanga (act of encircling) · alt курчу (isolation of a target) · cmn 包圍 /包围 (act of encircling) · sk obkľúčenie (act of encircling) · el περιτριγύρισμα (act of encircling) · de Einkesseln (act of encircling) · uk ото́чення (act of encircling) · lv ielenkums (isolation of a target) · de Einkesselung (act of encircling) · de Umzingeln (isolation of a target) · pl otoczenie (isolation of a target) · de Umzingeln (act of encircling) · ro încercuire (isolation of a target) · pl okrążenie (act of encircling) · de Umzingelung (act of encircling) · cy amgylchyniad (act of encircling) · hi घेराव (isolation of a target) · ko 포위 (act of encircling) · mi taiāwhiotanga (act of encircling) · cs obklíčení (act of encircling) · fi saarto (isolation of a target) · alt курчу (act of encircling) · de Umzingelung (isolation of a target) · tr kuşatma (isolation of a target) · ro înconjurare (isolation of a target) · fi ympyröinti (act of encircling) · cmn 包围圈 (isolation of a target) · be акружэ́нне (act of encircling) · tr kuşatılma (act of encircling) · mi whiwhinga (act of encircling)